‘One chance’ robbers torture, dispossess commuter of laptop, money, phones

An accountant at a construction company on Victoria Island, Lagos State, Saheed Ogungbenro, has recounted his ordeal at the hands of brisk traffic robbers locally known as ‘one chance’ robbers along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.

It was learnt that the hoodlums in a Sienna car beat up Ogungbenro, robbed him of a laptop, two phones ATM card, among other items, and transferred money from his bank account.

The victim, who was hospitalised after the encounter, told our correspondent on Friday that he boarded the vehicle at the U-Turn bus stop along the expressway around 5am while going to work.

He explained that he met two ‘passengers’ in the car, adding that trouble began after the driver picked another person at Abule-Egba.

“One of the two men at the back held me in the neck while the other man that entered later punched me in the face. One of them hit my nails with a hammer. I was overpowered. They collected my phones, laptop, national identity card, driving licence and my company ID card. They asked for my card pin and information about how to open my banking mobile app.

“I had to give them everything. I have N830,000 in my Access Bank account. I don’t know how much they transferred from it though someone had gone to the bank on my behalf and they had blocked my account. I had my Diamond (Access) ATM card with me. They collected it and transferred money from my Access Bank account to the Diamond (Access) account. I don’t know how much they transferred.”

Ogungbenro said the robbers dropped him off around the Oke-Odo area and zoomed off, leaving him in pain.

He added, “A motorcycle rider who saw me groaning with pain said I was the fourth person robbed and dumped at the spot. It was a tricycle rider who eventually took me to the hospital. The case was reported at the Oke-Odo Police Station.

“I was in a hurry that day. I didn’t go to the office in my car because I was tired. That was not the first time I would board Sienna to the office. Many commuters going to Victoria Island always rush to board Sienna at the bus stop early in the morning.”

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, could not be reached for comment on the incident.

Afeez Hanafi, Punch News