Christmas is a season that comes once in every year, yet to many people, it comes so suddenly that it takes them unawares.
And to meet up with the yuletide demands, the bustling and hustling that comes with it leave many families with what could be best described as unexpected pleasant, and not-so-pleasant surprises.
The rate at which many residents in Lagos State are witnessing doses of the negative effect of organised crime some few days during Christmas celebrations is alarming.
Peter Ubochioma, who resides in the Isheri-Oshun suburb of Lagos State, narrated how he was robbed by a group of boys who plied a tricycle bike along the NNPC – Canoe axis of Ejigbo.
“I board a ‘keke Marwa’ tricycle bike from NNPC to Jakande gate, as I was about to enter the bike, one of the boys quickly came down and asked me to go inside because he would be coming down along the road.
Just some minutes after we took off, the driver stopped and the men brought out guns, and demanded my phones, and money.
They ransacked me and took everything I had with me then; one of them pointed his gun at me and asked me to run towards a particular direction and that I must not look back, else he would blow up my head.”
Peter in tears said his Christmas celebration expectations have been shattered.
Adekunle Oguntimehin, a resident at Ilamoshe Estate shared his experience when he boarded a bus to Oshodi from Ilasamaja axis of the Mile 2-Oshodi route.
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“As I boarded a bus at Ilasa to Oshodi, four women were on the bus before me. As I made my way in, the driver asked me to enter right inside to allow the conductor to close the door.
However, I declined, not because I knew of their ill intentions, I just felt like sitting by the door, since the vehicle was not filled up.
The driver was grossed by my action and began to speed up. On getting to Iyana-Isolo, I expected him to stop and pick up more passengers, but he accelerated his speed more.
This singular act of the driver made me curious. I took time to observe the speedometer and it was indicating 100+, at that point, I decided to fight for my peace, hence I made efforts to open the door but the conductor resisted me.
After a lengthy duel which led to the vehicle wavering across the lanes, attracting massive onlookers’ attention, the driver hissed, and said, “This is a bad market and stopped for me and others to jump out.”
Rebecca Nwosu, a mother of two, who runs her business at Balogun market narrated that she fell victim to organised crime at the hands of the ‘Keke” operators along the Backnor -Jakande gate axis.
“I waved down a bike at the Transformer bus stop, and as I was about to enter, one of the supposed passengers came down and asked me to enter inside because he would soon highlight from the vehicle.
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I innocently obeyed and sat in between two men; as we journeyed for a while one of them brought out a gun and asked me to hand over everything I had with me to them.
And to save my life, I complied and gave them all the money with me and my two phones. After that, they ordered me out of the vehicle and zoomed off.”
Ajali Faith was robbed via her PoS business. According to her, “Someone called her daughter, Amara, and demanded the pin with a claim that he wants help out from the bank, and the girl innocently gave the pin to the scammer.”
She was robbed of all the money in her PoS account just like that.
Organised crime is multifaceted, ranging from drug and human trafficking, smuggling of migrants, cultism, illegal wildlife trade, kidnapping, advanced fee fraud, and others.
Organised crime in the face of Christmas is a yearly experience that can be avoided. And one of the ways to avoid falling victim to this evil is not to leave the house too early.
Besides, one needs to avoid certain bus stops noted for criminal acts, and when someone asks you to go inside, you must study the setting before obliging.
