Luxury bus robbery: ‘I was saved by menstrual period’

One of the 42 pupils of the Holy Rosary College, Enugu, Enugu State, who was attacked by armed robbers in a Lagos-bound luxury bus at the Oke-Odo end of Sagamu-Benin Expressway, said she was not raped because she is undergoing menstruation.

She said, “The robbers collected N1, 200 from me as well as my mobile phone. When we were dragged into the bush, we were ordered to lie down. The robbers would immediately point the flash light at you and say ‘spread your legs open.’

“The robbers defiled some of the girls but when it got to my turn and I opened my legs, they saw blood between my thighs and this was because I was on my menstrual cycle.

“The robbers thought I had been raped already, left me and continued raping the other girls.”

The girl, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity at her parents’ residence in Ajao Estate area of Lagos, also told PUNCH Metro that the robbers raped most of the girls when they did not find valuables on them.

She said, “I was asleep when the Ekene Dili Chukwu luxury bus broke down in Ogun State. Suddenly, I was awoken by a loud noise and many men were banging the vehicle, shouting that we should alight.

“The men, who were carrying guns, probably thought that we were traders and wanted to rob us. But when they saw us in uniforms, it dawned on them that we are pupils.

“The leader of the robbers immediately got angry and ordered all of us out of the bus and instructed us to lie down and threatened to shoot us if we did not comply.”

The traumatised girl, who spoke with our correspondent in a voice laden with emotion, said the robbers, who were many, dragged all the girls into the bush and began raping them one after the other.

She added that robbers were pointing the flashlight directly into the girls’ eyes so that they would not be able to see their faces.

The pupil said the robbers made away with most of their belongings such as mobile phones and money.

She said they remained inside the bush for hours until policemen came to their rescue.

When our correspondent visited the Ikeja office of Ekene Dili Chukwu Nigeria Limited, the owner of the bus, the General Manager, was said to have gone out. But a senior employee, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, confirmed the incident.

“The incident occurred but I am not authorised to speak with the press. The GM has gone to Ogun State as regards the matter and when he comes back, I’ll relay all your questions to him and we’ll contact the press,” he said.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi, said patrols were being intensified in the area where the incident took place.

He said the policemen rescued the victims and assisted in towing the broken down vehicle to Lagos.

He said, “There was a robbery case involving the said luxury bus with Reg. No. XW 875 LSR at Ogbere area along Ijebu-Ode/Ore Expressway and with the prompt response of the police patrol teams, the robbers were dislodged. The victims were rescued and taken to their destination by another vehicle provided by the police.

“Also, the command assisted in towing the faulty luxury bus in question to Lagos. Without mincing words, the command did all that was necessary to protect the lives and properties of the affected occupants of the vehicle.

“The command however wishes to advise the public to avoid exposing their children or wards to both physical and moral dangers or avoid night trips in its totality. The Ogun State Police Command has intensified adequate patrol along the expressway by dividing the expressway to smaller beats for adequate patrol by police teams commanded by Superior Police Officers.”

On the issue of rape, Adejobi said he could not confirm if the girls were raped or not because none of the victims reported she was raped to the police.

Adejobi said the place where the vehicle had broken down was becoming notorious for such robberies.

“The robbers usually attack broken down vehicles and escape. It seems they have mastered the terrain very well,” he said, adding that no arrest had been made.

Credit: PUNCH NEWSPAPER