ONE-CHANCE_Safety Outlook

Ever met a One-chance victim? What were your choice words to express care or empathy?

Join me as we learn from the following ordeals.

It's such a nice feeling to be prompted when you visit my page. You are welcome to join me on this segment to critically identify ways by which we can learn and implement practicable measures to forestall being a victim(s) of the above title.

This phrase is not new to Nigerians all over especially to the south west environs and some parts of the east region of Nigeria. Before I proceed with furnishing you with certain ordeals of this occurrences and hope you take heed- I would define outrightly what this phrase means in the Nigerian parlance.

This phrase by its operation is defined as an act where unidentified sect utilize any means of mobile transport to strategically defraud people (passengers) of their valuable items respectively. It is reported that these group of people with mixed genders and ages pick special interest in monetary valuable which has led them into incorporating the commonly used POS (Point-of-Service) in their nefarious operation. The risk is greatly increased as most commuters hardly go out without their ATM cards slot in their wallets. 

Having established this prelude, I would like to narrate some ordeals by common people and proffer tips to keep us abreast in other to be safe.

https://www.comptoir.fr/imgProduits/MDG/376435.ori.jpg

Ordeal 1: it was on a sunny afternoon in the east, I had scheduled to go to the market some miles away from campus. I had prepared my list and withdrawn the needed cash for the market. when I stretched my hand to stop a moving tricycle popularly known as keke. I was half way through to my destination when I noticed someone mumbling at me. For a moment I kept mute and hesitant to respond because I just had my mind scanning through what I would possibly get in the market. And the young man sitting beside me called out to me, “Hello madam” cleaned his eyes swiftly. Then I turned observed in a while that he had a brief case in front and some pictures, he held out obviously for me to see. Oh my God it was a small space and it was easy to see everything as it unfolded. He started talking continuously just when I gave a little attention, because he was crying and lamenting, and then I gave a little more audience while on the trip. He talked about getting involved in a fatal accident with the mum who was severely injured and further narrated how the mum had been admitted with no fund and so on. He said he had offset some payment and needed certain amount to commence treatment in other to save the mother. I was naive with a dire desire to help with no much persuasion. I thought in my head “this woman needs my help” and I told the young man that all I had to give was my prayers for her healing. He insisted that any amount would do good and I was foolish to even admit that I had some cash on me. Eventhough it was not to the tune he requested for, the guy was already like “no problem ma, I would manage anything”. That was how I blocked my account because this stranger got hold of my ATM card and everything in it.

Ordeal 2: It was my routine every morning to board a regular bus that picks me up at my estate gate in the early hours of the morning to head to the island. If you are conversant with Lagos and its geography, you would understand that moving from mainland to the island in the morning feels like north and south and to go against the terrific traffic, you would leave earlier from either location to the other. So, this faithful day, I had left the normal time but not the regular driver as he called earlier that he wasn’t going that day, so I left as usual. Boarded a rather unfamiliar bus with the regular inscription on the bus to identify the Lagos buses, he shouted “VI” “VI” meaning Victoria island as was my destination so I and a few others ran into the vehicle and they drove off. On getting to a bend to differentiate commuters heading to Ibadan expressway and Island, this bus switched route, at first, I thought it couldn’t be a mistake that this man turned but when others noticed and exclaimed, then they unmasked themselves with terrible attitudes. Started beating and searching and doing all manner of terrible things to us. They alighted and asked us to lie on the floor like criminals and when we did, they took all we had and left us with nothing and just when we thought they had exhausted there mission they started the vehicle and asked us to get back in. Now when luck smiled on me at last and handed me this privilege to share my story for others to learn, one of them yelled at me and asked if I was pregnant because of my big tummy after having my children and I impulsively answered “Yes Sir” and that was how I got away. They took the rest away!

                          

Ordeal 3: I had waited for admission for 2 years after my SSCE but to no avail. I resolved to being active in every crusade my church organized until one faithful day. I had prepared myself and taken my bible and the exact cash for the trip to and fro. I was headed to festac in Lagos but was to shorten the trip by taking ojota. The bus driver called ojota and I quickly entered. By the time we expected him to keep straight leading to ojota they changed route heading towards iyanoworo. I was the youngest in the bus with other passengers who were older, some heading to the market and some travelling and some strategically positioned to avoid being noticed. We all unanimously screamed when we noticed it was a different route he had taken from the usual, that was how these able-bodied men pounced on us, took every cash from that vehicle worth over 150,000 cash with no remorse. When they had finished with the other guys in front, it was my turn at the rear of the bus and having asked us to put our heads down, my head was still down when they asked me to bring all the cash I had. I spoke trembling that I didn’t have any cash on me that I just finished school awaiting admission. They collected my bible and the 250 naira I had left for transport and beat me so badly fondling my p. part as a male. One angrily yelled at me “instead of you to go school, you dey go church, abi you wan be pastor”. When they had finished, they handed me my cash and bible and stopped the car for all to alight and they left. We were all confounded, in the dark and did not know what to do.

Ordeal 4: I was going out when I stopped a vehicle to 5 min distance that resulted to over hours and all I could remember was being robbed a substance on my face and I was unconscious. Found myself in an unknown village after I regained consciousness and I was able to meet an old man that led me away until I got home safely.

As you can see from the four ordeals, you can relate well with these experiences whether you were the victim or not. On this note I would give away some safety tips to keep you on the know, to avoid being ensnared or get away when in the web as extracted from the lessons learnt from these ordeals.

Tip 1: Plan your Trip

It is expedient to plan every trip just before you step out, the need for an effective planning cannot be overemphasized as it entails the tiniest detail that you cannot afford to elude to make a successful trip. This plan ranges from activities such as leaving the bed, praying, getting dressed, scanning through safest route to destination and time of departure, ways to relate with other pedestrians, adjusting to the right and most positive mood as you set out.

Tip 2: Depending on the time of the day, be watchful

It is strongly advisable to be cautious when moving, be aware of your environment. These guys operate at any time of the day most frequently the dark times; early hours of the day and late hours of the night. Take advantage of the eye exercise to observe your environment; who is behind, who is sideways and who is in front of you as you move about. For certain these set of individuals do not necessarily compel you to join their vehicle as that would be suspicious. But they persuade you, hence you must pay attention to details when you are about to board a vehicle to observe their tone and how persuasive they get.

Tip 3: Move in twos or more on an unfamiliar BUT NECESSARY trip

As it is said a broom stick is vulnerable but is stronger when tied together. When you are alone these guys tend to admirably stop by, forgetting to ask your destination. And you on the other hand, get so impressed to hop in forgetting a communication never ensued concerning your destination. If you are unsure of your way around, try to go with a trusted friend(s) or relative(s). Do not be totally open about your affairs with strangers on the road. Be reserved and respond when necessary when out of your comfort.

Tip 4: Check for Isolation:

These guys do not associate with the regular transporters, they just park at a strategic location to call for passengers and when they get what they want, they immediately zoom off without patiently waiting to load vehicle to full capacity. When you get in and they are ready to leave immediately with just two or three in an 18-sitter bus, just strategically excuse yourself without expressing suspicion in words or body language.

Tip 5: Do not put valuables on display

Do not be responsible for attracting these guys to you. How? Do not put valuables on display. Some individuals are so fond of their gadgets that they are always flashing it, especially the sophisticated ones. Please put your iPhone and Samsung and the likes at least in your bag or hide it somewhere to avoid attracting the wrong people to you. The false logic these guys have is that if you can afford such expensive display then you are worth more.

Tip 6: Arm Yourself:

This implies support yourself with a permissible defensive arm. A small bottle of spray maybe pepper, body spray or what have you will do justice. This is on the defensive side. Let’s say you realize the situation and its observed to resemble it, just try to assess your arm and God’s direction to make you triumph.

Tip 7: Watch out

The safest and most efficient rescue technique in Safety is self-rescue. Before you become a subject for state emergency rescue, take heed of these points and be vigilant.

Proposed Interventions to confront this distasteful practice

v👉Passionate Mobile police to be positioned in strategic locations to investigate and apprehend these miscreants.

   👉A persuasive call for victims to narrate their ordeals for investigators to decipher means to stop this act or drastically reduce the nuisance.

v   👉A collective duty of care and empathy towards victims in every possible way.

v 👉A plea to the Government to deploy reliable arsenals to monitor the activities of transporters at odd times of the day to ensure continuous safety.

v  👉A unique tag to identify recognized transporters in a state, area, community or zone.

s