April 28, 2023, was a normal workday for Ola Ken’s (not real name) brother. His workplace was in Gbagada, and as usual, he boarded a bus along the Oshodi-Gbagada expressway in Lagos that morning.

Ken told FIJ that was the last time his brother boarded a vehicle on that road, as the driver and conductor of the bus turned out to be one-chance robbers. They took his phone and almost injured him.

“He wasn’t aware of what was happening until a woman left the bus and he was the only passenger with the driver and conductor,” Ken told FIJ.

READ ALSO: Forever With Danfo: Why Lagos Can’t Get Rid of Its Trademark Rickety Buses

“The conductor didn’t open the door but brought out a knife, trying to make my brother submit whatever he had on him. My brother struggled with the conductor, who later succeeded in taking his phone.

“My brother had to jump down from the bus, and immediately, it sped off. He didn’t board the bus at the bus stop; it was a moving bus that was going in his direction,” he added.

This story mirrors the experiences of many other Nigerians who have been kidnapped by one-chance robbers disguised as commercial vehicle drivers and conductors. Oftentimes, after taking their unsuspecting passengers, these criminals rob them of their money and valuables before pushing them out of their vehicle.

One-chance robbery is one that takes place in both public and private vehicles in Nigeria. It is an organised crime perpetrated by people who jointly hail unsuspecting passengers into their waiting vehicle.

In Ken’s brother’s case, the incident not only took a toll on his mental health but also influenced where he boarded buses from that day onward.

“He had to use his salary for that moment to buy a phone and also stop entering the bus from the road. He started entering from the park,” said Ken.

While Ken’s brother was somewhat lucky because he escaped with his life, we cannot say the same for Greatness Olorunfemi, an Abuja resident who died after one-chance robbers stabbed and pushed her out of a moving vehicle on September 26, 2023.

Olorunfemi’s death, which could have been avoided if Maitama General Hospital had not shut its door against her just because she was brought in without a police report, sent shock waves throughout the country. It also sparked public outrage, with many Nigerians calling on the government to sanction the hospital and also address the underlying security problem that caused the incident.

KIDNAPPERS, ROBBERS ON RAMPAGE IN LAGOS

Nine months after Ken’s brother encountered the one-chance robbers on Gbagada Expressway, these criminals are still on rampage.

Ayowande Adalemo, an X user whose handle is @wandyvirus, shared a post at 8:12 pm on Tuesday to warn about kidnappers using the “once-chance” method on the Gbagada Expressway in Lagos.

“Kidnappers on rampage on Gbagada expressway. They are using the “once chance” model to kidnap unsuspecting commuters. They are using a “Danfo’ with five persons. We just thwarted a kidnap. I have warned all commuters along that route to note the vehicle,” Adalemo wrote on X.

@PoliceNG kidnappers on rampage on Gbagada expressway. They are using the "once chance" model to kidnap unsuspecting Commuters.
They are using a "Danfo' with 5 persons. We just twated a kidnap..
I have warned all Commuters along that route to note the vehicle.

— Ayọ̀wándé Adálémọ 🇳🇬 (@wandyvirus) January 16, 2024

READ ALSO: How Lagos Woman ‘Bought’ Her Life With N255,000 in One-Chance Robbers’ Den

In response to Adalemo’s post, an X user whose handle is @MisolaofJesus, noted that such incidents had been occurring since 2018.

“The fact that they’ve been doing this thing since 2018 and they are still doing it till now. They know people are aware of their Sienna gimmicks, and they’ve moved to danfo,” @MisolaofJesus wrote.

@Nwabuzorchinwe4, another X user, revealed that one of his relatives was recently killed via the one-chance model.

He wrote: “This is how they killed one of my relatives recently in Lagos. A hardworking and well-built young man about to finish his project in the village. [He] entered one chance kidnappers. Things went south, maybe. They killed him. They cut his life short, a family breadwinner. I’m tired.”

@Callipers_, another X user, said he learned that the one-chance kidnappers were using a danfo at Ojuelegba under-bridge.

“They station it few metres away from the ones in queue, calling different places, so when you get close & mention your destination, they’ll tell you to enter, pick one or two more passengers & zoom off,” he noted.

“Always enter “danfo” at their designated spots, especially the ones in queue. Don’t be in a rush to go enter the one in front that will take off after a few passengers. It’s a BAIT. Don’t rush yourself into kidnapping or robbery,“

Abimbola Abatta is a reporter with FIJ writing reports in partnership with Report for the World which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe.