Police Rescue ‘One Chance’ Driver From Irate Mob
A dramatic scene unfolded at Artillery junction, Aba road, Port Harcourt, Rivers state, on Sunday, January 26, 2025, as a mob apprehended a driver of a minibus, popularly known as Keke Bus, who allegedly collaborated with armed robbers to rob his passengers.
The suspect, identified as Kelechi, a native of Anambra state, was caught by a group of youths, led by Kelvin Nwachukwu, a youth activist, after two female victims of the robbery identified him at a filling station along Aba road.
According to Gloria Ephraim, one of the victims, she and her friend had boarded the minibus at Oyigbo Express, heading to Market Junction, when the driver, Kelechi, allegedly diverted from the route and stopped at a secluded spot, where four armed men emerged and robbed them of their phones and other valuables.
Ephraim narrated that during the robbery, one of the passengers jumped out of the bus and escaped, while she and her friend were attacked with knives. She alleged that Kelechi was complicit in the robbery, as he was heard calling out to one of the robbers to keep his share of the loot.
She explained: “What happened is that, we entered motor(minibus) at Oyigbo Express,we were going to our friend’s place who is celebrating her birthday.
“The driver asked us where we are going to,we said we are going to market junction.He said is 700,we said we are with 500 naira,he said we should enter.
“Then when we entered,he drove us and stopped at a place where there is no vehicle and put fuel. Then we were like the place you stop us and put fuel is not good.There was one lady at the front with a guy,she was going along,She stopped before the driver drove us front.
“This thing happened at oilmill flyover.The driver now stopped,four guys came out with Knife,they put knife under their nicka.When the four guys attacked us and asked for our phones,one of the passenger sitting at the window side jumped out,run and crossed to the another lane of the road.They did not succeed to rob him.
“They flogged my girlfriend with knife because she was close to the door and I was in the middle side in the bus.Although the knife touched me but not the way they did to my girlfriend.
“During the incident,one of the guys said I should give him my phone or he is going to kill us and nothing will happen. I threw my phone through the window they were beating my girlfriend with me.So my girlfriend had to give them her phone.I did not know that one of the guys saw when i threw my phone. The guy now collected it.
“The backside of the minibus there is no glass, is water-proof they used in covering it. After they collected our phones, as we were running,we heard the driver calling one of the guys name that he should keep his own share.That was when I told my girlfriend that the driver carried us and gave the people who robbed us.
“As we were running,we saw an Hausa man driving motorcycle who helped us and dropped us at Artillery”
Kelvin Nwachukwu, a Youth Activist who assisted in apprehending the driver of the ‘One Chance’ vehicle said
“I was at Artillery junction, some girls were complaining that they were robbed by ‘One Chance’ robbers .Unfortunately for the driver of the ‘One Chance” syndicate,he was turning at Artillery to buy fuel at a filling station as at when the girls were complaining to people.
” The girls quickly identified the driver. So I mobilized the people they were complaining to,to go and apprehend the driver.We went to the filling station, we saw some of the girls property inside the bus We carried the driver with the girls to Mini-Okoro Police station.His minibus is there.His name is Kelechi, He is from Anambra state.
” We made an entry at Mini-Okoro Police station .For now he is still at Mini-Okoro Police station”.
The Rivers State Police Command was yet to make official statement on the incident.
The victims reported the incident to the police at Mini-Okoro Police station, where they made an entry. The police are currently investigating the matter.
Kelvin Nwachukwu, a Youth Activist who assisted in apprehending the driver of the ‘One Chance’ vehicle said
“I was at Artillery junction, some girls were complaining that they were robbed by ‘One Chance’ robbers .Unfortunately for the driver of the ‘One Chance” syndicate,he was turning at Artillery to buy fuel at a filling station as at when the girls were complaining to people.
” The girls quickly identified the driver. So I mobilized the people they were complaining to,to go and apprehend the driver.We went to the filling station, we saw some of the girls property inside the bus We carried the driver with the girls to Mini-Okoro Police station.His minibus is there.His name is Kelechi, He is from Anambra state.
” We made an entry at Mini-Okoro Police station .For now he is still at Mini-Okoro Police station”.
The Rivers State Police Command was yet to make official statement on the incident
The Rivers State Police Command is yet to make an official statement on the incident.
Police Rescue ‘One Chance’ Driver From Irate Mob is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
