Precious told Vanguard that at about 8 p.m. on June 5, 2013, she boarded a commercial bus at Iyana Orile bus stop in Orile Agege Local Council Development Area, LCDA.
According to her, “it was raining at
the time. The bus driver (Balogun) was alone in the bus when I flagged him down
and told him I was going to Iyana Ipaja.
“He stopped, picked me and speed off.
On getting to Mobil petrol station on Old Ipaja road, just before the Lagos
State exams board office, beside NYSC camp, he told me that because of the
heavy traffic at the Iyana Ipaja under bridge, he wanted to go through some
inner streets through Orile Agege LCDA office at Arigbanla. He said he would
come out close to Iyana Ipaja through Aboru junction and I agreed.”
Precious said she became apprehensive
when it took the driver several minutes navigating through inner streets
without emerging anywhere.
According to her, “I complained that
I was afraid as I no longer understood where we were and where the driver was
heading to. I, therefore, told him to drop me so that I could find my way out
to Iyana Ipaja bus stop.
“But he reassured me that we would
soon emerge at the expressway where I will disembark. Shortly after this, the
driver suddenly stopped in a dark corner and told me that he wanted to pick up
something.
“He then came down, entered the
vehicle from behind and grabbed me on the throat in a bid to choke me. I
struggled to free myself but he held me tightly. He hit my face, head and nose
with a wheel spanner and inflicted grievous injuries on my face and head.”
Precious said the suspected ritualist
attempted to slit her throat and cut off her breast, saying: “He used knife in
trying to cut my neck but did not succeed. He even tried to cut my breast, but
God rescued me. This happened at Canal, near Pleasure, after Sawmill.”
Vanguard gathered that luck ran out
on the suspect when his vehicle failed to start. And within that time Precious
regained some strength, pushed open the bus door and screamed for help, which
attracted people in the neighbourhood. When the driver noticed that people were
coming towards them, he abandoned his bus and Precious.
However, the matter was reported to a
police team at Iyana Ipaja under bridge who then radioed Elere police station,
Agege. Officers from Elere Police Station then took Precious to the scene of
the crime in the night and people in the neighbourhood deflated the four tyres
of the bus.
Balogun was apprehended around 1:00
am the following morning, as he came back to stealthily remove his bus (unknown
to him that the case had been reported to the police).
The case has subsequently been
transferred to the Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti Yaba,
where the suspect is undergoing further interrogation.
Only God can save us in Naija.
ReplyDeleteWalahi, nobody is safe in that country, even your gateman could be a ritualist.
ReplyDelete