Still on one-chance robberies

IN recent times, residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, and other parts of the country have expressed anxiety, fear and frustration as “one chance” criminal gangs carry out abductions, robberies and  murder. Disguising themselves as commercial taxi or bus drivers and conductors, these criminals lure unsuspecting passengers into their vehicles, only to rob, assault, or even kill them. The strategy, long used by motor park louts, is to make passengers to take the decision to hop into their vehicle under the presumption that there is only a single space (“one chance”) left. But once inside, they cannot get out, at least not out of their free will. They are robbed of their money and valuables, and then pushed off the vehicles in motion, and that is even when they are not killed. One-chance robberies are on the rise in major Nigerian cities, from Abuja to  Lagos and Port Harcourt.

At the FCT, Abuja, such incidents have sparked widespread safety concerns. In one gory incident, a 23-year-old petrol attendant, Grace Godwin, was found dead in Jabi district after reportedly being thrown off a moving vehicle. She had boarded a vehicle in Mabushi but hours later, her family received a ransom demand. But by the next morning, her body was discovered near Iya Abubakar Street, Jabi. Freda Arnong, an employee of Ghana’s High Commission in Nigeria, died from injuries sustained after boarding a taxi that diverted from her intended route. The hapless lady had boarded the taxi near the Transcorp Hilton Hotel on July 1, but she ended up being blindfolded and tortured before being left near the Moshood Abiola Stadium. She later died at the National Hospital. Ruth Isaiku, a member of the  National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), survived an attack after boarding a taxi to Keffi. She was rescued by a Good Samaritan.

On Monday, July 7, the FCT police command launched what it called a targeted, intelligence-led operation against the one-chance gangs. It described the operation, initiated amid growing public outcry and mounting security concerns, as part of a broader effort to “cleanse the city of criminal elements exploiting loopholes in transport systems.” Speaking at the launching of the operation, the command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, said: “As part of these efforts, the command will intensify stop-and-search operations at key flashpoints, targeting suspects involved in ‘one-chance’ robberies, vandalism, and scavenging activities, which have become a growing security concern. Members of the public are strongly advised to avoid driving vehicles with covered number plates, vehicles without number plates, or those bearing only one plate. Likewise, individuals using vehicles with tinted glasses must ensure they possess valid tinted permit documents. Vehicles found in violation of these requirements may be subjected to thorough checks, and the drivers may be delayed.”

Naturally, the absence of state action has sometimes spurred mob action against suspects. In February this year, a mob killed two suspected “one-chance” robbers along the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Expressway in Abuja after they allegedly robbed and pushed a female victim out of their moving vehicle. The suspects had reportedly tried to escape but met a brickwalll at ACO Estate Junction when another motorist blocked their path as they tried to make a U-turn. Then, more motorists and bystanders joined in the chase. The suspects abandoned their vehicle and attempted to flee on foot, but the growing mob quickly overpowered them.

It is distressing that criminal gangs posing as transporters are maiming, robbing and even killing innocent citizens going about their lawful duties. The government has to sit up and halt the menace. In particular, the FCTA authorities need to do everything within their power to arrest the dangerous descent into insecurity. If Nigerians are not safe at the seat of power, where can they be safe? Abuja needs an ultramodern and efficient public transport system. In Lagos and other cities, buses and cars engaged in public transport operations are properly marked, and this should be replicated at the FCT. It is, of course, not being suggested that one-chance abductions do not take place in other Nigerian cities. They do. The point, however, is that mandatory registration and proper marking of all vehicles engaged in public transport, with strident public campaigns against boarding strange and unmarked vehicles, is bound to help.

In the FCT and other parts of the country, some individuals create parks indiscriminately. This has to stop. No doubt, “one-chance” robbery is a symptom of deeper systemic failure and should no longer be treated as a random or opportunistic crime. To its credit, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has begun to frame the issue as an organised, recurring threat to public safety that is often facilitated by vehicles with tinted windows, concealed license plates and, at times, the impersonation of law enforcement personnel. Moving from reactive policing to targeted surveillance and strategic profiling reflects a more mature and informed approach to urban crime. Such a shift is not merely appropriate, it is imperative. However, Nigerians recognise the familiar pattern of short-lived enforcement drives that fade as public attention shifts. The Nigerian public has apparently grown weary of temporary crackdowns that yield initial arrests but fail to bring lasting change. There must be a sustained commitment to dismantling these criminal networks, prosecuting offenders swiftly, and closing the systemic gaps that allow such crimes to thrive. Anything less would reduce whatever the NPF is doing at the moment to yet another reactionary campaign.

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The police and other security agencies must hunt down all the  criminal syndicates masquerading as commercial transporters. Their continued assault on the safety and dignity of Nigerians should no longer be met with silence or tolerance. The criminals terrorising commuters should be apprehended and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Still, while the law enforcement agencies must lead the charge against the one-chance criminals, members of the public owe themselves a bounden duty to be vigilant. Commuters must avoid unregistered or suspicious vehicles and promptly report incidents or suspicious activity to the authorities. It is a no-brainer that greater public awareness, coupled with a culture of civic responsibility, can significantly bolster the impact of police operations. The one-chance criminals must be stopped in their tracks.