A viral video has ignited widespread outrage after a dispatch rider was seen consuming portions of a customer’s small chops order before completing delivery.
The footage, which surfaced on Saturday on X, captured the rider seated by the roadside with several packs of small chops spread on the ground.
The man, later identified as David Agburu, was observed opening the packages from the sides, taking pieces of snacks from each pack, and resealing them before proceeding with the delivery.
The incident has since triggered public health concerns and condemnation from social media users, many of whom described the act as both unethical and unsafe.
Reacting to the development, the affected vendor, Larry Spice Ventures, distanced itself from the rider, clarifying that he was not a staff member of the company.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the management explained that the rider was engaged as a third-party agent through a delivery platform.
“It has come to the attention of the management of Larry Spice Ventures that a video is currently circulating online showing a delivery person consuming items from a package meant for one of our customers,” the statement read.
“We wish to state clearly that the individual, Mr David Agburu, is not an employee of our organisation.
He was engaged solely as a third-party delivery rider through I.N.D Mobile Technologies Ltd, popularly known as InDrive.”
The company added that the matter had been formally reported to the delivery platform and that it was cooperating with ongoing investigations.
The incident drew sharp reactions online, with users expressing concern over hygiene and food safety standards in the delivery chain.
A social media user, Molara Wood, criticised the rider’s conduct, describing it as a moral lapse rather than an act driven by hunger.
“Fingers dipped into people’s food and packs placed carelessly on the ground — this is a huge public health risk,” she wrote.
Other users called on food vendors to adopt stricter packaging measures to prevent tampering.
One user advised vendors to seal food items with protective wrapping to make any interference easily noticeable.
The development comes amid growing concerns over accountability in Nigeria’s food delivery sector.
Recent reports have highlighted increasing cases of missing items, tampered packages, and theft involving dispatch riders, raising questions about trust and safety in the rapidly expanding industry.
The latest incident also follows a separate case reported on Friday, where a ride-hailing driver allegedly absconded with a high-end smartphone entrusted to him for delivery after cancelling a trip midway in Lagos.