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Wednesday 2 February 2011

ARMED ROBBERY - A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE!!!

Where do I begin? For weeks after I attended my daughter's school perfomance at Catford Broadway Theatre on the Untold Stories about the Holocaust (January 2011), I became uneasy I asked myself this question;

What gives anyone the right to hold a gun to another's back, threatening to end his life?

Some would say frustration, poverty, betrayal by society, corruption by leaders trusted with public funds 'stealing' the pot for their great grand children etc.
Whatever the reason, is it justifiable for anyone to hold a bunch of innocent passengers and families hostage, raping, killing, maiming, assaulting and bleeding them dry?

I've decided to write this personal experience in four parts.
This is my first brush with the mask wearing, gun-tooting men of the underworld.

1998; It was my younger sister's introduction. That is, my younger sister was getting married, but her in-laws had to come over to introduce themselves to my family. My parents live in the ancient city of Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. I worked and lived in Lagos, Nigeria. A cosmopolitan, boisterous, jam-packed city, very much like London.

The journey was at least over three hours, no matter what brand of car you're driving. My sister had insisted I'd to be in attendance. After all, she's my best friend. At that time, I worked for a multinational - Cadbury!!! It was a regular Friday. Work was hectic, with meetings and deadlines... I hate travelling by road. And I also hate travelling by road at night!!!

Just when I wanted to make a dash for my over three hour journey, my director called me and asked to see me. How could I tell him I had an impending journey? Finally, after checking my wristwatch for the one millionth time, I embarked on this ill-fated journey, with the knowledge that my younger sister would be dissapointed if I appeared on the morning of the event (the next day, Saturday).

Pushing my phobia of road journey and late night travel aside, I hopped on the commercial bus plying the Lagos-Benin route...

The full story of the bullet-ridden, fear instilling, mind boggling armed robbery attack unfolds here...


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