In many Lagos communities, commuters and passengers usually fall victim to audacious heists after they’ve been lured into a high-stakes trap where fear and uncertainty reign while using public transportation. In this report, IFEDAYO OGUNYEMI relives the experience of many victims of one-chance robberies, who are not just financially drained but also emotionally scarred.
FOR many years, one of the many nightmares many commuters in Lagos fear to experience is running into the hands of dare-devil ‘one-chance’ robbers. This is because these robbers and (occasionally) kidnappers have caused considerable fear and considerable security concern in the minds of many Lagos residents.
These bands of criminals naturally target commuters who use and depend on public transportation such as buses and taxis to reach their homes, places of work, worship, business and others.
They often pretend to be passengers with the connivance of the driver before robbing their unsuspecting victims of their valuables. One recurring tactic they employ, once an unsuspecting victim aboard their vehicle, is to use intimidation, threats, or even violence to create chaos while they forcefully cart away the victim’s belongings.
Over the years, apprehension and fear of their activities have continued to chokehold many Lagosians, especially those who frequently use public transport as they normally experience heightened anxiety and vigilance because of the unpredictability of these crimes, the brutal methods they employ and numerous cases of brutal methods across the state.
The impact extends beyond individual trauma. The presence of one-chance robbers has led to a decline in the perceived safety of public transportation among a large percentage of the residents. Commuters are increasingly cautious, with some even opting for more expensive private transport options to avoid the risk. This shift affects not only the daily lives of residents but also the broader economy, as the costs of safer transport alternatives add up.
Despite different measures to combat the spate of one-chance robbery in the state by the government, security agencies, park officials and motorists, the challenges persist, as robbers continuously adapt their strategies.
The fear and anguish that usually grip many residents who encounter these devils incarnate and make them anxious of public transportation was the summary of the day of an event planner, Oyindamola Adedeji, on Thursday, August 8, 2024. “It felt like a bad dream and I wanted to wake up,” she said in one of her tweets last Thursday.
She had set out around 5:20 am to shuttle from Maryland Bus-stop, Ikeja to Marwa axis of Lekki where she goes occasionally to work as a background vocalist for the daily Next Level Prayers (NLP) programme which holds every morning between 6 am and 8 am and is streamed live by many young Christians nationwide.
Tweeting from her X handle (@_oyinpounds), Adedeji said she had woken up late that fateful day, having attended a midweek service the previous day.
Her checkered night rest was also impacted by the intermittent visits to the loo to stool as a result of the somewhat sour zobo she had consumed on Wednesday night. Little did she know that the terrible experience throughout the night before was a sneak peek of the trouble and trauma to come during the day.
With several minutes past her take-off time, Adedeji hoped to get on the first vehicle she sees at the bus stop to take her to Lekki/Ajah axis where she was headed to. This didn’t afford her the opportunity to do a proper security assessment of the vehicles
“I usually would leave my house between 4:50-5:05 am so that I can meet the call time which is usually 6am but due to my stomach issues, I left home at 5:20am; I was running behind schedule so I was quite distracted and in a hurry.
“I got to Maryland Bus Stop and usually I’d take a bus going to Lekki/Ajah as my destination was Marwa but because of time I told myself I was going to settle for the first vehicle going to the island. Less than a minute later, I heard (someone in) a Sienna call ‘VI’ and I ran to make it to the vehicle without any proper look or scrutiny, this was where my nightmare started,” she recalled.
According to her, the minivan left the bus stop almost immediately. Less than a minute into the drive, the windows of the vehicle were wound up. “Oh, he wants to turn on the air conditioner,” she thought.
But it was the force of someone attempting to suffocate her from the back seat of the vehicle that jolted her back to reality.
“I was pulled by three men to the middle of the vehicle and all I could think of was to scream Jesus.
“Punches started flying from everywhere to my face. My bag was taken, I was pinned to the middle of the vehicle with my neck in the wrong posture; it was horrifying. It felt like a bad dream and I wanted to wake up.”
Five men, including the driver, were in the vehicle with her. They took turns beating her while ransacking her carry-ons for any personal effects, including her ATM cards. Sensing that she couldn’t take them on, Adedeji gently complied with their requests and answered their questions, including how much was in each of the cards.
Upon finding some of her responses unsatisfactory, one of them brought out an iron rod and repeatedly hit her knee with it.
“I was begging and screaming. All this time, they had my eyes covered so I couldn’t see a thing,” she said. “They emptied all my accounts using the cards because they had a POS with them (I could hear them punch it), after that was done they told me they were taking me to their camp and I should start calling my contacts for ransom that if they didn’t get N2 million, they would gang-rape me and ask for N20m from my folks.”
They removed the veil on her face and asked her to call her folks and other contacts on her phone to send the ransom to her bank account, but a large majority of those she called failed to answer the phone. This angered the robbers more as “they intensified the beating by choking me, hitting my knee and ankle while punching my stomach, I was helpless.
“They asked me to remove my iCloud from my iPhone 13pro max, but I couldn’t remember the password, this caused more beating.”
After many attempts to reach some loved ones, only her friend and her music director were reachable. They hurriedly transferred money to one of her accounts which the robbers emptied immediately using the POS they had brought along. But they were not satisfied with their loot and demanded she call more people to send money to her account.
“I didn’t know who else to call and told them this. They weren’t happy with that response so they decided to strip me naked right there, tore my bra and whatever I was wearing underneath. They took off my trousers and threatened to rape me,” she recalled.
After she had been stripped, they continued beating her while one of them began to dial numbers of random contacts on her phone. Adedeji said she started muttering Psalm 23, but the robber holding her neck from the back seat heard her and repeatedly punched her in the face.
Moments later, upon sensing that they may not be able to get any more money from her and her contacts, one of the robbers who seemed like the leader of the gang said “make we drop am,” but the colleague hitting Adedeji with the iron rod said no, insisting that they could still get more money from her.
She further explained: “At this point, they started taking me to their ‘camp,’ saying they would kill and sell my body parts. I was extremely helpless but kept quoting that scripture in my head.
“After much deliberation, they all agreed at some point to drop me off. They started wearing my top & trousers back on me and started giving me instructions on what I should do if/when they drop me off. I just kept saying ‘Yes sir’ because if my response wasn’t convincing enough, I’d get more beating.
“After a while, I noticed the vehicle came to a halt and their ‘leader’ said ‘put abo for him eye,’ ‘abo’ was Aboniki Balm! They put a sizeable amount of Aboniki inside my eyes ane drove to Anthony where they dropped me off and told me to act normal or else they would come back to pick me up. They dropped me and I couldn’t see a thing.”
A woman, who was just passing by the area where she was dropped off, saw Adedeji in distress as she was struggling to see. She asked her what happened and she told her she had just been dropped by robbers cum kidnappers.
The unnamed woman took Adedeji to the emergency fire service just by the Anthony Bridge, gave her a damp handkerchief to clean the balm off her eyes and face.
Adedeji thereafter asked one of the people who gathered around her to give her a phone to call someone at home.
“I could remember only two numbers in my head: my mom and a friend’s. I called my friend and it didn’t take long before one of them arrived to comfort me. I was weeping uncontrollably at this point hoping it was all just a dream and I would wake up.
“I couldn’t walk without support; I couldn’t sit or stand because my neck was hurt and I was in so much pain. Another friend arrived in a vehicle and they rushed me to the hospital, in excruciating pain. The doctor administered pain medication and I was taken for a scan immediately after which they put me on strong sedatives.
“I spent the next two days in the hospital surrounded by friends and family. Although, I was in pain, I felt loved in a way. I wasn’t happy about the whole experience, but nothing I could do now would change it.
“My church covered hospital expenses. My campus pastor sent representatives and asked if I needed anything else while I was in the hospital.”
Today, Adedeji is grateful to God for everyone who was involved in helping her after the incident, saying “It could have been worse, but I’m so glad that I came out of it alive. I don’t have my phone or money back, but I’m on the road to recovery and I’m recovering pretty well.”
Trauma
For many Lagosians who have encountered these daredevils, the pain and trauma live with them for a long period of time.
Last Friday, Adedeji was on her way back from a nearby pharmacy where she had gone to get extra medications prescribed for her when she thought someone was charging towards her.
“This dude looked like he was charging towards me to attack me. I had my heart in my mouth and completely froze using my hands to cover my face.
“It was only after he stared at me in awe that I realised he wasn’t coming to attack me and he was just in some kind of hurry. I don’t want to live my life in fear like this. God please,” she explained in another series of tweets on Friday.
Others narrate ordeal
Following her revelation on Thursday, one of the tweeps, who engaged Adedeji’s tweets, also revealed that her aunt went through a similar ordeal early in the year.
He disclosed that after the incident, her aunt had to undergo surgeries on both knees, adding that she was bedridden for about six months and she still can’t stand up by herself today.
The tweep identified with his X handle, @Hillz_ibeji, said “she cooperated (with the robbers). These people got over a million from her contacts and withdrew about N60,000 from her accounts, but still tortured her like an animal.
“She still cries whenever she has to explain the ordeal to someone. I pray God heals her completely.”
“I also feel it’s the same set of people because the story is 95% similar,” he said while listing the similar elements in their experiences to include the Sienna, hitting the knees with a rod, blows to the stomach, all men, calling your contacts and aboniki in the eyes.
Another victim, Olajumoke Dada, who tweets via @_Olajumokedada, disclosed that Adedeji’s experience felt like she was relieving her ordeal with one-chance armed robbers last November.
“(I had) no energy to celebrate Christmas at all. I was just basking in gratitude to God for showing me mercy.
“(I) took a private cab and that was all. They took my iPhone, my new Macbook, ATM cards and other things. All I could do was mutter tongues and cry.
“I feared the worst would happen but God just miraculously took their mind away from it.
“This happened around 5:40 am almost 6am on a Monday and yes, I was on my way to work (Island). I still have PTSD,” she recalled.
“My eyes also suffered terribly from the toxic substances that was forced into my eyes,” she added.
Another victim of the one-chance robbers cum kidnappers, who tweeted @debs_always2, also said she had the same experience in 2020 where she was beaten, strangled and hit with an iron rod.
“God!!! I had this same experience in 2020: the beating, strangling, hitting with the rod, the aboniki. I had PTSD the entire year. Thank God for the lockdown, I was able to avoid any form of public transport for months after.
“Another woman got in the vehicle before me, but as the whole thing played out, I kept asking myself why I was the one getting the brunt of it. It just felt like she was a part of it.
“Luckily, I forgot my card at home and had only petty cash in my bag. They were more lenient because I was screaming that I was a student. They took my work/personal phones, but as I was getting down, I kept asking for my phone, and one of them gave me back my work phone —it was a bigger phone than my phone at the time.
“I went to the hospital and then the station to report it later that day because it was very early in the morning when it happened. It’s sad to see that it’s still happening in that area. I wonder what the Nigerian police are doing. I am so grateful this lady is well. It’s a long road to coming back from this experience, but you’ll get there.”
To address the recurring menace of one-chance robbery and kidnapping, experts have called for a multi-faceted approach that would strengthen law enforcement, improve public awareness, and enhance the security infrastructure of public transport.
They also noted that effective coordination between authorities, transport operators, and the community is essential to reduce the prevalence of these crimes and restore a sense of safety for commuters.
Police give safety tips on how to avoid one-chance robbers
It will be recalled that in February 2024, the Lagos State Police Command shared security tips with Nigerians on how to avoid being a victim of one-chance robbery.
In the advisory, the command Police Public Relations Officer, SP Hundeyin Benjamin, urged residents to adopt precautionary measures in the face of increasing insecurity across the country.
“Be aware of your surroundings and check for suspicious activities from the driver, conductor or even fellow passengers before boarding a vehicle. If you have boarded before noticing suspicious activities, request to alight at the next police checkpoint.
“Avoid vehicles that offer suspiciously lower rates. Avoid taking rides from strangers.
“Where practicable, check the number plate of the vehicle and send the details to a relative or friend as soon as you board. Avoid vehicles that are not painted in the official Lagos State commercial vehicle colour.
“Don’t board any vehicle that does not have an interior door handle or latch. Also, note that criminals sometimes use child safety locks to trap and detain their victims. To be on the safe side, ask the driver to wind down the car window on the side you are sitting if at the back. Avoid boarding vehicles with tinted glasses.
“Be alert while on public transport; don’t be too immersed in your phone and endeavour to be awake. Avoid discussing money issues while in public transport. When totally avoidable, do not stay out at odd hours.
“When hailing rides, do not board the vehicle if it does not match the description given on the app. Do not board the vehicle if the driver shows up with a companion. Avoid taking offline trips.
“Finally, arm yourself with the Lagos State Police Command emergency lines: 08065154338, 08063299264 or the Lagos State toll-free emergency lines: 767 and 112,” the statement read.
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