Howdy Y'All,
Hope your week was much better than what I'm about to write. Mine has been pretty traumatic! I just can't begin to emphasise the gratitude for God's goodness!
Read On!
1. My brother and his family were at my place on Sunday night. We had a swell time. They left just gone past 9.30pm. As they were driving off, I charged them to call or text me as soon as they got home.
I anticipated the journey to take about 25minutes at the most, so when I didn't hear from them after my timing, I began to call their phones. The phones just rang endlessly. After a while, I gave up and went to bed with the mind that they probably had left them on silent and hence didn't hear the phones ring, which was not unusual.
Day 186 - I woke up and got up at the sound of my alarm, with the determination to beat the heightened Monday morning rush hour traffic!
So, as soon as my alarm went at 5.10am, I didn't roll over to the other side of the bed begging God for another extra half hour of snooze!
Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw next as I reached to my phone to turn off the alarm!
There was a text from my mum that read that 'my brother had been robbed last night on their way home'. I instantly went into shock and became confused. I called my mum, who had cried all night and didn't sleep a wink but spent her night stooling every minute!
Still shocked as she gave me some details, I told her I couldn't continue with the conversation, so I got off the phone. I was disoriented and didn't know what to do next. One minute I was back in bed, then the next I was crying my eyes out, then questioning God, then going to have a shower, then almost dressing for work etc. After about an hour, I was a bit rational, so I decided to drive straight to their home; and I did just that.
This was the 3rd robbery he would encounter in 7months! For the 1st time, I hated being back to Las Giddy, as I wondered how this had re-occurred yet again recounting all the losses!
Nothing could have prepared me for the account they were about to give me.
Just five minutes away from home, him and his wife had been chatting away in the car, when suddenly a car double crossed them. Oblivious of what was about to happen, he thought it was a driver mis-driving, so he tried to manouver the car. By the time he had an inclination of what was about to happen, he tried reversing only to discover that another car had blocked him from behind. They initially thought perhaps they were ritualists because of a phrase used, before it dawned on them they were robbers numbering almost 10 with guns blazing; moreso after they hadn't dozed off instantly! They shot into the air and into the passenger side where his wife was sat with their baby asleep in her arms. Luckily, the bullet didn't come through. This act just made him give up any other attempt to escape as he quickly raised up both hands in surrender.
Some men quickly jumped in and forced my brother, his wife, baby and helper to the back of the jeep. They told them to bury their heads down whilst they drove off to an unknown destination.
The robbers were dressed in native attires with caps, so anyone passing by will think they were coming back from a social function.
They said that they were not afraid to kill and that they'd already exhausted 3 lives that day / evening, so their utmost cooperation was required. They asked for money and took every dime they had. They took all their phone handsets - in fact my brothers handsets was what first appeased them, took all their jewellery including wedding rings. They took everything!
They said they know they were Christians and asked what church they attended. My brother responded that they attended 'Fountain of Life Church'. Then the man who was their leader, repeated it as Mountain of Life; so my brother repeated it to him. Then one of them in front started singing a Christian song!
Meanwhile, they got irritated by the buzzing of their phones as I continued to ring them (oblivious of what was going on) and therefore asked to switch them off!
Their leader was an 'old adult', in fact, they were almost all elderly. He moaned about the economic situation of the country and that they didn't have money to send their kids to school. Other comments also made it very clear they were somewhat retrenched / ex 'POLICE MEN'! They were learned men! They also made comments like all a policeman is taught is how to use a gun! Some of them complained about the fact that there were no 'politicians' up and about town that evening for them to rob!
As they drove on, they wanted to robbed another jeep, but it seemed that as they were about to corner the driver, it wasn't the make they were after, so they let it off. All these were being noted as they spoke in the car and as my brother and his wife tried to spy with their heads buried down.
Then a call came through for one of them, on ending it, the receiver said it was 'mummy' or 'mama'. Then another received a call from his wife. It was deduced from the responses being given that the wife had called to ask how their operations were going and the leader replied that they had gotten 3 cars blah, blah! They could hear her hailing her 'husband' - 'okare oko mi', that is, well done my husband!
It turns out the other cars had been stolen too. It was later discovered that one of the occupants in the other car was the driver of the car. His car was only 2weeks old, whilst my brother's was 2months old. This driver had received so much beating, he said he was begging God for blood to come out of his body at one stage, hoping that would make them stop the beating. He had even been more unlucky, he was tied up and been with them since the early evening as they carried out their operations.
Then they decided to refuel the car. They told my sister-in-law that my nephew must not cry for a second. He'd been asleep all this while. They were threatened of the consequences of that happening. So both of them quietly prayed for my nephew not to cry and also that they should not encounter any police checkpoints as that would mean a gun battle! They told them to look normal at the filling station. The robbers filled up and even joked with the unsuspecting attendants!
Somehow, my brother had a peace that he couldn't explain, as the leader engaged him in a dialogue; whilst some members of the gang were eager to 'waste' them and getting angry that a conversation was even taking place.
My sister-in-law pleaded and cried and pleaded with them.
They asked my brother if there was any security feature in the car. He said that there wasn't. They were surprised at his reply and asked why there wasn't one. He told them that he had specifically asked them not to fit anything into the car. A decision that he had come about after his former boss almost lost his life for this.
There and then, my brother made a case against having security devices fitted into cars in Las Giddy. It can be the fine line between life and death. Just have your standard insurance and let them handle any events concerning your car. Tracking, alarms, perimeter fencing or whatever can end up costing you your life! The truth about it is that you are less likely to want to drive your car if it was stolen and then recovered.
I guess part of the driving them away that night was to ascertain whether or not my brother was being truthful about any fitted security device!
They asked for the particulars of the car. When presented, they wondered why they were photocopies and my brother had to explain to them calmly that being a company car, the policy was to only carry around the copies rather than the original. They also asked how much the jeep cost. He told them!
As they journeyed, they spotted a police checkpoint from a distance and then one of them called someone from the other car on what to do. They asked whether to engage them or to re-route, then a decision was made to re-route.
The leader asked where my brother hailed from. He was initially going to answer correctly, then he decided against it and said he was from Ogun State. The man then asked the name of the exact town, he mentioned some place, that luckily for him existed. Because of his reply, the man suddenly lightened up saying he knew the place and that he was an 'omo egba' blah, blah. He turned to his wife and asked where she was from. On answering him, it seemed like someone from her town of origin may have offended him in a past life. He turned to them and said that he will release my brother and his son and helper and take her away with them. As she cried and pleaded, the man now told her not to worry that he was only joking and that he won't take her away.
Then they finally came to a stop in an unknown destination - dropped in a bush with utter darkness all around. The leader now asked that they untie the other man - that was when they even got to know that there was another victim.
The leader now gave my brother N3k for transport and the other man was given N2k! My brother now prostrated - the Yoruba way, thanking him. He replied - saying no problem! Then they just felt to ask for the baby's bag since it won't be of any use to them. The leader asked which bag it was and after certifying that it only had my nephews stuff they handed it over to them. Then they thought to ask for their house keys and the man asked them to get it. Then my brother thought to ask for his drivers license and the man gave him. Then he thought to ask him for his office diary and the man gave him. In retrospect, they wished they'd asked for their sim cards too - then thought perhaps, they may have been pushing their luck!
Everything had been stripped off them. Even her shoes and slippers were not spared, so she was bare feet and my brother had to give her his slippers to become bare feet himself! The money on them should have been dropped off for someone earlier but my brother had missed the person twice or so - thats how they got to have enough cash on them to give the robbers to appease them. A later revelation was given by my brother about his MD's friend being shot dead last week because he didn't have enough money to give the robbers that attacked him. His car was not taken, but the robbers felt for the calibre of car being driven, he should have had more money on him. So, even robbers profile! God have mercy!
The men drove off leaving them in the middle of nowhere. They didn't have a clue where they were or how to get out. Little did they know they'd been dropped off at a ritual hotspot and that they were well into Ogun state!
With no cars coming or going, they prayed for help. Then a bus stopped. The only reason why the bus stopped for them was because of the pleadings of the women on the bus because they were carrying a baby and for that reason cannot be ritualists.
It was the occupants that now told them that they were in a ritual hotspot and that nobody stops at that spot for any reason. Someone on the bus paid for their fares. This was apparently the last bus for the night heading into the next town - Sango Otta! Thats how far they'd travelled.
So they were now told how and where to get another bus back to Lagos. My nephew woke up when they arrived at Sango Otta, looking around and wondering what was going on!
They boarded the bus, and even after explaining the situation, the driver wanted to charge them N5k for the trip! Na waya sha!
Not trusting anyone, he asked the driver to take them his mother-in-law's house.
On getting there, he said the only numbers he could remember off-hand was my mum's and mine. He knew how disturbed I would become with that kind of news, so he called my mum instead. Needless to say, we were all very disturbed. They finally got home after all the initial police reporting at around 2am or so.
They went to make a report at the local police station later on Monday morning. After describing the gang to the policemen, it was obvious that my brother was not the first to come and make a report about them. The police seem very aware of the existence of the gang; but then were very bitter about the lack of support and equipment. One of them particular complained about the death of a colleague who was denied treatment for a gunshot wound because of N20k. Now if the law enforcers are embittered, what hope is there for its citizens?
Do you know that this is how an entire family can and have probably gotten wiped out? Thank God for his grace and protection.
I have cried; we have all cried! In all of these, people are even coming up with worse stories enough for us to be thankful to God for preserved life.
I have just been so traumatised. The experience narrated to me is constantly being relived in my mind, as if I was there went it occurred. I've been getting up every morning since and catching a glimpse of my nephew's picture before leaving home!
I guess I feel worse for it because he was there too but his presence with them was undeniably a gift!
If I feel this way, I can't begin to imagine how they've felt since the ordeal. Still, they've moved on, shrugged it off and grateful for the hope that being alive gives!
If na jand, dat will be automatic 3months of work for post-traumatic stress blah, blah!
Facts of this ordeal: If my brother or his wife had lied for any reason or if there was any security features or any slight ticking off or any police check point or the baby cried - I'm not sure both of them will be alive today to tell the story!
Truths of this ordeal: The peace of God that surpasses all understanding engulfed my brother, even such that he had 'seeming favour' with men of the underworld or should I say their leader; because the other gang members could not see any reason why my brother and their leader should even be dialoguing! They were ready to get thrilled at the wasting of human lives!
Above all God was in control!
This is my piece for this week. We sure need the hand of God and constant prayers for the preservation of life and property in Naija!
It is well!
Always & Always,
Moi (RLC)
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