Playhouse Nigeria reader who lives around Agidingbi
in Lagos has shared the story of how God saved her
twice from a set of robbery gangs who parades the
area in danfo buses. Her car was at the mechanics
for few days, so she had to get to work through
public transport buses and that was how she met her ordeal. Luckily for her, she made it alive, and even
though she lost personal belongings, it wasn't too
severe. She wants other readers to learn from her
story and be more careful. And then she has a
question for the government.
Tuesday, December 16 2014, is not one day I will
never forget in a hurry because that was the day I
had my first and last "ONE CHANCE" experience. One-
chance, for those who do not know, commonly
refers to robbery attacks carried out on unsuspecting
bus passengers. Continue below. I woke up that early morning without an inkling of
what lay ahead, I believed that as my car was at the
mechanic place for repairs, I had have to move out
early and be at work before 7 am. As I was waiting
patiently at the Daily times bus stop Agidingbi, Ikeja
to board a bus, a yellow painted- commercial bus stopped beside me and the conductor shouted under
bridge Ikeja, I didn't even think twice, I jumped
aboard. Usually I am a patient person, but consider
my joy immediately I saw the bus stopped few
minutes after I got to the bus stop when on the
previous day, I had waited for more than 30 minutes at the same bus stop I eventually trekked a long
distance to get a vehicle. That happened to be my
undoing. I boarded the bus without my usual perusal
of the bus occupants.
Anyway, to cut the long story short, I entered the ill-
fated bus, immediately I entered I looked around
back, and to my discomfort noticed all the occupants
were men, eight of them men including the driver,
which I didn't notice previously as some had their
faces covered with caps and others dressed like women . It finally dawned on me, that these were no
ordinary passengers, that's when I said to myself
'I don enter this one". At first, I couldn't utter a word; I just tensed up, but
later relaxed. Once they noticed I was on to their
game, one of them crossed to sit beside me and
enclosed me in, saying he wants to get down at Coca
-cola ,he later tapped me, and said in a calm voice "
Madam, do not panic or shout so you won't be hurt'. Many thoughts flew through my mind, praying that
they should just be mere thieves and not kidnappers
or ritualists. I repeatedly chanted " Blood of Jesus"
even when one of them hit me and asked me to stop
saying it, But I just couldn't stop. It was my saving
grace. During the 10 minutes ordeal, I ended up losing my
laptop, Smartphone, jewellery, Atm card and money
to the kill-joys. Though I took down the plate number
and reported to the police, who by the way asked
me to trace the owner through the local government
where the vehicle was registered, as if I am a private investigator. Unfortunately, I entered the same vehicle a week
after, this time to Yaba, immediately I noticed they
are the same people, I alighted but I have decided to
let everything be but here are few lessons I will like
to share with everyone so as not to fall victim of
such unpleasant experiences.
1. Be safety conscious, being and remaining safe is a
collective effort and its starts with the individual.
2. If your area is poorly lit, always in darkness or
usually lonely, its better you move in twos, ask a
neighbor or vigilante to walk you, get a particular
keke napep/okada or cab to pick you to the nearest
bus stop or if you are not too late, wait till day breaks
so you can recognize faces or take in more details.
3. Before you board a vehicle, try as much to notice
the occupants of the vehicle: are they are all male
(sometimes they engage females in their evil acts)?
Is the conductor holding money(It's a sign they are
legitimate and the bus has been engaging in business
since morning )? Are the occupants scattered in the bus? Is the
conductor insisting on where you must sit? Are you
alone at the bus stop? Watchfulness is key.
4. Carry as little valuables as you can, a day after
the robbery incident, a friend of mine lost 2 laptops,
cash and phones to hoodlums around the same axis.
5. In all , don't panic, remain calm, take in as much
details as you can, faces, plate number, make and
model of vehicle to help you give a comprehensive
description to the appropriate authorities later. And the question I will like those in authority is why
are there no working streetlights in Ikeja,
considering its Lagos's capital and centre of
commercial activities?
