PASSENGERS aboard a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) bus in Orile, Lagos, were on Tuesday, attacked and robbed by a group of street urchins. The bus was en route from Mile 2 to CMS.
The urchins, disguised as protesters, reportedly targeted the bus around 1 pm, taking valuables from the passengers.
An eyewitness and a victim, Dare Abiola, recounted the ordeal. According to him, the urchins, who had disguised themselves as protesters against the recent seizure of motorcycles by the Lagos State Task Force on the Environment, ambushed the bus near the Alafia bus stop in front of the NNPC fuel station. As the BRT bus approached the Odunade bus stop, the passengers noticed a gathering crowd, with some people marching towards the Orile bus stop.
Abiola shared, “I boarded a BRT bus from Mile 2 going to CMS. When we got to the Odunade bus stop, we noticed a crowd had gathered, and some were marching to the Orile bus stop.
“Personally, they collected my bag and my phone. Before I released the items, they threatened to stab me with a beer bottle,” he said.
He further explained that the urchins then attacked their bus, seizing money and other valuables from the passengers.
The incident reportedly lasted for 20 to 30 minutes, with no intervention from security personnel, leaving passengers vulnerable to the marauding thugs.
Following the attack, Abiola visited the Orile police station to file a formal complaint.
However, when contacted, the Lagos State Police spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, stated that he had not yet received details of the incident.
The attack reportedly lasted for 20 to 30 minutes, during which there was no intervention from security personnel. This absence of a timely response has raised concerns among passengers and residents about the safety and security of public transportation systems in the area.
The group of street urchins claimed they were heading to the Orile Police Station to confront officers who had conducted a raid on motorcyclists in the Odunade-Coker axis. This raid appears to have been the catalyst for the attack on the BRT bus, with the urchins using the situation as a cover for their criminal activities.
Eighteen-Eleven Media