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Israel a financial institution teller with one in all Nigeria’s main banks was not too long ago deployed to one of many Branches on Victoria Island. He lives in Akoka and should navigate the Third Mainland Bridge (3MB) every day to get to the Island.
As a customer-facing workers within the Financial institution, resumption is at 7:20 am every day, preceded by Department Conferences thrice per week. To make sure he will get to work early, he leaves his home very early within the morning and walks to Pako Bus cease the place he boards both a bus to Yaba or Sabo from the place he can get a bus to Obalende or Eko Lodge in Victoria Island. Most financial institution tellers don’t personal vehicles so the every day commute of public transport just isn’t sudden for workers at his degree.
On this fateful day, as he handed the Yabatech Bus cease, he seen the buses on the opposite aspect of the highway going from Sabo to Obalende and he determined to alight from the Bus he was in and shorten the journey as he was operating late.
He rapidly ran to what appeared to him to be a quickly filling Bus and found there was one house left by the door. He made to sit down when the particular person closest to the door got here down and beckoned him to sit down additional inside. He gladly accepted the provide because the highway forward had puddles of water and he didn’t need to water to splash on him. Instantly he sat down, he felt a chill down his backbone and knew he had made a mistake getting onto the bus.
Because the Bus started its journey, the person beside him gave him a hefty slap and the sound of slaps may very well be heard in numerous corners of the bus by the passengers who weren’t a part of the gang resulting in a minor uproar amongst them. A member of the gang whisked out a gun and this led to a sudden calm within the bus. The Driver who seemed to be the chief of the gang began dispensing directions and assuring them no one would get damage in the event that they complied along with his directions. They had been all dispossessed of their valuables together with telephones and money. A POS materialized they usually all volunteered their PIN, and instantly all of the accounts had been emptied into one other. As they approached the St. Dominic’s junction, the bus veered proper, they usually had been all requested to leap out whereas the Bus was nonetheless in movement.
Israel and his co-travelers had simply fallen sufferer to the “one likelihood” phenomenon raging in metropolitan areas of the nation. One of these legal exercise is generally carried out by a gang consisting of each women and men utilizing a automobile, bus, or Keke to select up unsuspecting members of the general public in different to rob them of their valuables. This group just isn’t kidnappers, ritualists, or terrorists, they goal to maim and dispossess unsuspecting members of the general public of their valuables whereas using the general public transportation system that’s the lifeblood of town.
One likelihood phenomenon
Nobody is aware of the precise origins of the time period “one likelihood”, however it’s a standard pidgin English phrase meaning one has entered a state of affairs that he/she is unable to right away extricate themselves from. The apply as it’s identified now grew to become prevalent someday within the late 90s in Lagos and has unfold to different elements of the nation.
Probably the most susceptible passengers to this dastardly act are those that board buses alongside the route, particularly at factors the place there are not any designated bus stops or the place the buses should not required to park earlier than choosing up passengers. These unscrupulous people and teams benefit from the frenzy related to boarding buses in Lagos and lure unsuspecting passengers into the bus.
Members of this theft group place themselves in “strategic” corners of the bus in such a way that non-group members are boxed right into a nook with no room to flee. Anybody that has lived in Lagos is aware of the buses barely cease so that you can alight or board when it isn’t a chosen bus cease. Your means to hop on and off a shifting bus is a particular ability solely the Lagosian acquires over time from boarding the ever-present “Molue” buses which might be peculiar to town.
In Lagos, essentially the most susceptible areas are Oshodi Oke, Charity, Toyota, Iyana Isolo to Mile 2, from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko, Lekki Epe expressway, Berger- Oke on the Lagos Ibadan expressway, and so on. In earlier occasions, these incidents solely occurred late within the night, however in latest occasions it has develop into extra brazen with operations in broad daylight. The car of alternative of the “one likelihood” syndicate is the Toyota Sienna, particularly within the mornings.
The unavailability of licensed industrial autos has opened a window for unregistered autos to enter the house for passenger site visitors. This house is being exploited by these criminals particularly throughout rush hour to use the vulnerability of Lagosians throughout this era.
The position of transport unions
The Nationwide Union of Highway Transport Staff (NURTW) or its successor group the Lagos State Parks and Garages Committee is probably one of the vital hated and vilified Unions in Nigeria. From harassment, violent takeover of garages, extortion, intimidation, and so on., the checklist of acts of infamy related to the Union is infinite.
Regardless of this, there’s a sense of safety and certainty you get from boarding buses at designated parks the place they’re in cost. By a community of non-public interactions and years of coping with Drivers and Conductors, they’ve fashioned relationships that enable them to vouch for Drivers.
New Drivers intending to affix new parks should not simply requested to pay charges and levies, they’re additionally required to be referenced by different well-known individuals or Drivers earlier than they’re allowed to select up passengers. This semi-informal Guarantor system ensures unknown individuals with devious intentions don’t use the park as a staging floor for his or her actions. Since they know the buses and their House owners or Drivers, you may come again to report any incidents or instances of misplaced private belongings to the native chapter Chairman.
On October 5, 2022, the Lagos State Parks and Garages by its Chairman Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya popularly often called MC Oluomo introduced the introduction of a barcode to be scanned by passengers to allow them to determine the buses which might be protected to board. The initiative in accordance with him is to curb the incidents of kidnapping, “one likelihood” and different nefarious actions perpetrated utilizing the general public transport system.
The plan is for every car to have a singular bar code that individuals could be anticipated to scan earlier than boarding, and upon scanning, it is going to show the variety of the car, particulars of the driving force, and the unit from which the car is working. This in accordance with the initiators of the scheme will remove the incidences of kidnapping presently disrupting the transport sector.
It is a laudable thought to instill much-needed self-discipline into the transport sector in Lagos, but it surely has one apparent shortcoming, the plan assumes that passengers have the posh of time and house to have the ability to scan autos earlier than they board. The hustle of getting onto a bus in Lagos as I had stated earlier doesn’t give room for such an enterprise. Additionally, Passengers have already got consolation from boarding buses from designated bus stops, and requiring them to scan a QR Code can solely give additional consolation.
How do you keep away from one likelihood?
So, the problem for passengers is how one can determine “one likelihood “autos or what to do to cut back the danger of being uncovered to such gangs:
We spoke to some safety consultants and motor park drivers who suggested warning and “widespread sense” commentary over a rush. As a lot as you may, try to board autos from designated bus stops and parks. Do a fast psychological scan of the car and its passengers. If you’re a woman, don’t board a bus with solely male passengers.
If the passengers are evenly distributed within the bus and you might be being urged to go additional inside, don’t board. Automobiles providing ridiculous or decreased fares are additionally to be prevented or approached with excessive warning. Observe your intuition. If one thing doesn’t really feel proper, please don’t board.
Twice in November 2022, LASTMA Officers arrested 2 totally different “one likelihood” gangs working within the Lekki axis and on the mainland. On a Monday morning early in December, autos plying the Third Mainland Bridge had been greeted by the sight of Police autos blocking some lanes to permit officers to scan and interview unlicensed industrial autos carrying greater than 2 passengers.
This train was an try to apprehend any such operations that is perhaps ongoing. This reveals the Police and Legislation Enforcement are totally conscious of the rise on this type of criminality and are attempting to nip it within the bud.
Authorities has a duty
State Governments even have a duty to both remove or regulate the actions of unlicensed people utilizing their autos for industrial functions. In admitting that they supply a service and assist cushion the impact of the deficit of autos on the commuters, their actions have created the house that’s being exploited by the “one Probability” operators.
In Lagos, a return to the assigned routes system whereby buses may solely function inside assigned routes and these routes had been displayed may additionally assist in curbing the menace. Legislation enforcement can even set up sting operations to entrap these people, as everybody is aware of the hotspots the place they function. The few arrests which have occurred have been because of the dedication of passengers and never any motion taken by legislation enforcement.
Public transportation is a crucial a part of the dwelling expertise in any metropolis. The power of individuals to maneuver freely inside a metropolis or state will help the economic system of the State. Staff want to have the ability to transfer round with out worry of hurt, particularly when utilizing public transportation.
Vacationers fascinated with immersing themselves within the lifetime of the locals are at all times desirous of taking public transport. Points across the safety or lack of it within the public transport system can create a destructive notion of town and its individuals, thereby affecting tourism.
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