Tidal Wave of One-Chance Robbery Incidents in Nigeria

Tidal Wave of One-Chance Robbery Incidents in Nigeria
In the course of the week, a reporter with the Punch Newspaper, Babatunde Titiola, was on Tuesday morning involved in car robbery along the Sagamu end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. This act is popularly known as, “one chance.” “One chance” is a term used to describe a specific type of robbery where criminals pose as passengers in public transportation, like taxis and buses. They target unsuspecting victims and then rob them of their belongings.
This incident happened on Tuesday around 6:40 am. In an interview with Babatunde Titiola, he revealed that there were 5 of them in the bus but that did not give him any reason to suspect them. It was at the point when he was pushed out of the car that he realized he had been robbed of his phones, money and other effects.
“I left my house, and I was on my way to Sagamu. I was at the Magboro bus stop around 6:40. I entered all these normal commercial vehicles. I sat in the front seat. There was a woman inside the bus, and then, we were like five inside the bus. All of a sudden, the driver started chanting. I am certain they were not speaking in Yoruba because I would have understood clearly what they were saying. Afterwards, I heard the driver telling them that it did not work. He said he could not take me to the place I was going anymore.”
“I can’t remember the place he said he was going to drop me because I am quite familiar with these areas. I was not conscious at some point. They pushed me out of the bus while in motion. It was then that I realised that they had stolen my phones, wallet, and money, and I was left with only my hand accessories.” Babatunde Titiola tried to contact the police force in order to report the case but it was all to no avail.
On Wednesday, the Lagos state police had arrested four “one-chance” gang. This arrest was confirmed in an official statement made on X, by the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin.
The statement reads, “Detectives from Ilasan Division have arrested Habeeb Azeez (m), age- 29; Michael Adeyeye (m), age- 26; Biodun Iyiola (m), age- 46; and Adeleye Dotun (m), age- 27 in Ijora-Badia, following a discreet investigation into a complaint by a victim that the suspects withdrew N1.4 million from her account during a “one-chance” robbery at Ilasan.”
Authorities implore residents to exercise caution and take necessary precautions while using public transportation. They advise travelers to verify the legitimacy of vehicles and avoid boarding unmarked or suspicious-looking taxis.
Vigilance is of the essence.