THIRTY-FIVE-YEAR-OLD Oladimeji Johnson is a bus conductor plying Orile-Ajah route in Lagos. Before he ventured into commercial transportation business, he was into baking of pastries and small chops.
He said he took up the bus conductor job not out of desire. According to him, his horrible encounter with armed traffic robbers which left him with a damaged right leg forced him into it.
Johnson told Saturday Tribune that the robbery incident which led to his deformity happened along Ketu-Epe Road where the 18-passenger Mazda bus which he joined from Ketu park was waylaid and robbed by a gang of armed robbers.
Insecurity is one of the many challenges confronting residents of Lagos State. However, to stem the tide, operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) recently arrested 27 criminal suspects in their hideouts in the Agege and Oshodi areas of the state.
According to a statement posted on the RRS official X handle, the suspects comprised 25 males and two females.
The commander of the RRS, CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi, pledged to rid the state of crime and criminality while noting that the squad would take the fight to the criminals in their hideouts.
He said: “Our operatives, acting on credible intelligence and extensive surveillance of some notorious hideouts in Agege and Oshodi, arrested 27 suspects in an effort to minimise crime. The suspects consist of 25 males and two females. They were arrested in Agege Under-Bridge, Oke Koto, Akerele, Markaz, Tabon Tabon, Oshodi, among others.”
‘I almost died’
On December 31, 2023, Johnson closed his small chops business in Ikeja, Lagos, to cross over into a new year in a celebratory mood with his wife and two children.
According to him, he had in his wallet N42,000 for the festive season. As he headed for the garage in Ketu to board a bus to Epe, little did he know that an event that would forever transform the course of his life was ahead.
He narrated his ordeal: “I made a lot of profit from my small chops business in Ikeja because it was New Year Eve. I had high hopes and expectations of reuniting with my wife and two children after about one month of absence from home.
“I thought I had to make up for my absence so I bought new clothes and school uniform for my children and some accessories for my wife. I remembered I had about N42,000 on me as well. In short I was happy I was ending the year on a joyous note but this was cut short.
“The incident which brought about negative transformation in my life happened on the Ketu-Epe Road before you get to the T-Junction. It was an armed robbery attack on an 18-seater passenger bus. The robbery operation didn’t last up to five minutes but it left me with eternal bruise and deformity. You can see how crooked my right leg is. It was as a result of the stitches on my knee.
“From Ketu garage, I joined a bus to Epe. The journey was less than an hour but because of the bad road, there was heavy traffic from Ikorodu through Ketu-Epe Road. While on the journey, our bus became faulty. The driver had to park to rectify the fault. As he was doing this, two young men suddenly appeared from the bush with an iron rod, broken bottles, cutlasses and knives. They attacked and dispossessed us of our valuable items.
“As the robbery operation was going on, one of the robbers was at the front door of the bus while the other was at the back. He opened the boot of the bus and started searching the bags and other loads that were there. Since I sat at the back seat, I thought I could speak to the robber at the back in street language he would understand. After all, we all belonged to the street, but this landed me in the condition that I am now.
“As I opened my mouth to speak –I had not even said a word – the robber landed his cutlass on my knee. I almost fainted with the shock that went through my nerves. The cutlass penetrated my kneecap cutting it in halves. I was soaked in my blood. While I was groaning in pain, they continued with their robbery operation. And as soon as they were done, I lay on the ground almost lifeless.
“After the robbers had fled into the bush, two men came to my rescue and I was rushed to a nearby hospital in Ikorodu where I was given first aid treatment before I was taken to another hospital for surgery. Since I had spent all my capital on the treatment of my knee, I had nothing to do until I started this conductor job. This is how I sit in the bus calling out to passengers. And that’s how terrible my situation has been.”
Two killed
Orile-Iganmu is one area in Lagos that is notorious for traffic robbery and cult-related clashes. In recent time, the community has been a battlefield between two rival confraternities.
According to a resident, Shukura Abike, a cult clash was so bloody that it took the intervention of men from the state police command to douse the tension. In the clash, she stated, two persons were reportedly killed.
She explained further, “Clashes between different rival cult groups have been recurring in Orile-Iganmu. Whenever they start, we will be scampering to safety. In fact the last cult clash between cultists on Alhaji Jimoh Street and Alagba Street was so bloody that two persons were killed. It took the intervention of police officers to quell the tension occasioned by the clash. Police vans were stationed in the community for three days.
“Apart from cult clashes, another challenge confronting residents in Orile Iganmu is traffic robbery. I was once a victim at Doyin Bus Stop.
“I was returning home from work on that fateful day. As I got to Doyin Bus Stop, I saw some boys walking towards my direction. They held sticks, bottles and cutlasses. They were attacking anybody they came in contact with.
“They collected phones and money from pedestrians and those in buses. This was around 10 p.m. In fact, this happens almost every night at Doyin Bus Stop. They parade the entire stretch of the Orile-Costain link bridge every night. The boys appear from nowhere and rob you.”
Rotimi Kazeem was one of the victims of traffic robbery in Orile. He is a commercial bus driver plying Orile-CMS route. He shared his encounter with the Orile Bridge boys.
He said: “My conductor was off, so I was the only person that worked on that fateful day. I had about 15 passengers in the bus from CMS but some of them alighted at Costain, so I decided to stop and carry some passengers to Orile.
“As we approached Orile, I discovered that I hadn’t collected fares from those passengers that entered from Costain. So, I decided to stop as we got to Doyin to collect my money before they disengaged. I got out of the bus and started collecting my money.
“A few minutes after, these boys appeared from under the bridge. They were about 10 in number. They held cutlasses and broken bottles shouting, ‘Your phones and your money’. My passengers became panicky.
“I was afraid as well but I later summoned courage to confront them. I brought out an iron chain and threatened to wipe them with it if they moved closer. Seeing that we were battle-ready, they went back to where they came from and I immediately took the passengers away from the scene.
“Orile is very notorious for traffic robbery. The boys are always loitering around the bridge but the most surprising thing is that a police station is a stone’s throw from the scene of this crime, but the police will never come to your rescue.”
CDC, motorist lament
Chairman, Community Development Committee (CDC) in Ikorodu Local Council Development Area, Alhaji Shonibare Lukman, lamented the spate of kidnapping on Ketu-Epe Road.
According to him, between 2021 and 2023, three people were kidnapped while countless road accidents were recorded within the period.
He said: “Between 2021 and 2023, about three people were kidnapped in the Isiwu area of Ikorodu.
“The kidnappers were later apprehended by the CP’s strike force in Araro village with the assistance of members of the Ikorodu Division Peace Initiative Joint Task Force led by Chief Lanre Labinjo. Also a popular Ikorodu socialite, Lukman Onabanjo, was kidnapped on that route.
“The kidnappers were apprehended and they confessed to the crime.
“On the bad road, it started from Sabo in Ikorodu to Itokin. Some time ago, Senator Tokunbo Abiru promised to facilitate reconstruction work on the road but up to today, nothing has been done. We heard work would soon commence though.
“There has been no traffic robbery in our community. At least, none has been brought to my attention but we have seen cases of road accidents. This is due to the bad state of roads. It is so bad that commuters now travel the road in Keke NAPEP because that is the safest means of transportation. It is either people’s cars get damaged or they are involved in accidents using the road.”
Another road user, Kunle Sa’eed, lives in Ikorodu. He lamented the poor state of road which he said is the main cause of traffic robbery in Ikorodu and environs.
He, however, expressed fear over the safety of students of the Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH) while journeying through the Ketu-Epe Road, saying that they could fall victim to kidnapping and armed robbery.
He said: “Those living in Ikorodu or journeying from Ijebu-Ode through Ikorodu to Epe must have had a dose of the gullies on that road.
“It has always been like that. It is so busy in the morning but road users desert it at night because of fear of being attacked by robbers and the accident that happens on it. It will interest you to know that the police are always on that road but their presence does not guarantee security because they are there to collect tolls from commercial bus drivers and leave before nightfall.
“It is this same road that leads to LASUSTECH, therefore, students can easily fall victim to kidnapping or accident when journeying through the road.
“The Lagos State government should not wait until the unexpected happens before they address this situation. They shouldn’t wait until students are kidnapped or involved in accident before they complete the road. Motorists are really suffering on that road.
“About three months ago, there was a fatal accident on that road involving a woman and her two children. They were crushed to death by a truck. Apart from this, there have been cases of kidnapping which is why the road is abandoned at night.”
Outfit gives security tips
A security outfit, Security Skills Development Company (SSDC), says over five million vehicles ply roads in Lagos and Abuja daily.
In its tips on how to stay safe in Lagos traffic, it highlights five safety measures for motorists while in traffic, including:
Keeping valuables out of reach
“The back seat of the car was made to make sitting convenient for occupants of vehicles, not for your load! It’s now a usual thing for car owners to drop laptop bags at the back seat, dashboard, or floor, according to a recent survey. Items like briefcases, phones, purses or wallets, laptops (or its bag), shopping bags, iPad and cash are frequently seen behind the driver at the back seat.
“As much as possible, endeavour to do away with these mentioned items, it will prevent any occurrence of a car break-in. For perpetrators, they are not interested in stealing your whole car, but the valuable items in it – which can be difficult to replace, not to mention the undesirable cost of repairs. This tip also applies when using a parking lot. Better still, get glass tinted, but do well to get approval from relevant regulatory bodies.”
Avoid talking to pedestrians, focus on driving
“There is really no visible sign of a harmful pedestrian because commuters move from one part of the road to another all with different expectations. But really some are walking with the expectation of grabbing something from your car or pointing of dangerous weapons simply to rob drivers and their passengers.
Some hoodlums even pretend to be beggars so as to invoke pity, and in turn, exploit motorists’ benevolence. This kind of occurrence can be avoided when you concentrate on driving and staying safe in traffic. As much as possible desist from talking to pedestrians while in traffic. It may be a calculated distraction for you that gives them the opportunity to carry out their nefarious objective.”
Always lock your vehicle
“Staying safe in traffic demands that you keep your vehicle locked at all times. Thieves are more observant than you are. They can identify an unlocked door from meters away. They walk toward the car in question in order to gain access, in a twinkle of an eye they are already robbing motorist. Don’t make the assumption that your doors are closed and locked already. Always reconfirm.
Some motorists who drop off passengers often forget to re-lock the doors. If you have been doing this, perhaps you should be more careful. Some vehicles though have an auto-lock system, so you might as well check your dashboard to confirm all doors are locked.”
Avoid buying things in traffic
“Traffic in a place like Lagos can be tiring and annoying, with an uncountable number of motorists ready to frustrate your driving experience. Long hours in traffic would naturally make you want to rehydrate or take a snack, which you will get in abundance while in traffic. You can possibly get all you need in Lagos traffic, talk of popcorn, plantain chips, milk, fruits, soft drinks, water, even a toothbrush.
“Understandably, water accounts for the most purchased products in traffic. Though some of these items seem essential, it could also pose a potential security risk. Patronizing roadside hawkers can leave you exposed to theft and attacks. In July 2016, Lagos State banned trading on major roads, sighting the high incidence of traffic robbery as one of the reasons for the ban.
“Staying safe in traffic might mean controlling your urge to snack while driving. If you must drink water, ensure you get it before getting on the road, as well as your snack. It will save you unnecessary panic.”
Use your rear-view mirror
“Just like the side mirrors, the rear-view mirror is also important. It contributes to your staying safe in traffic. The rear-view mirror of the vehicle allows a driver to see through the back windshield. While in traffic the rear-view mirror is important as it helps a driver know what is going on at his rear.
“As a driver, you can see your boot and also identify possible security threats and quickly make safety decisions. Be sure to always adjust the rear-view mirror to an angle that best captures your rear and, of course, check from time to time, especially while in traffic.”
and then