How ‘one chance’ syndicate robbed trader in Abuja

A trader, Mrs. Wumi Adekunle, has recounted a terrifying experience where she was robbed of N736,000 by a suspected “one chance” syndicate. The robbery occurred at gunpoint along the Giri-Zuba road as she was on her way to the Suleja market. Adekunle, a resident of Old Kutunku in the Gwagwalada Area Council of the FCT, […]

A trader, Mrs. Wumi Adekunle, has recounted a terrifying experience where she was robbed of N736,000 by a suspected “one chance” syndicate. The robbery occurred at gunpoint along the Giri-Zuba road as she was on her way to the Suleja market.

Adekunle, a resident of Old Kutunku in the Gwagwalada Area Council of the FCT, said the incident happened last Thursday around 5:30 am. 

She had boarded a vehicle at the Tipper Garage area of Gwagwalada.

The baby wares trader explained that she was sitting in the back seat between two other passengers, one of whom was a woman, with another passenger in the front. 

She said shortly after they passed Anagada village, the driver pulled over to the side of the road and got out.

According to Adekunle, the driver pretended the car had an electrical fault. 

She said while he was under the bonnet, one of the male passengers sitting next to her pulled out a pistol and demanded she hand over her sack of money. 

Simultaneously, the trader said the female suspect next to her, brandished a knife and threatened to stab her if she resisted.

After they had taken the money, the driver quickly got back in the car. “Immediately the driver came in and turned on the car, one of the gang members pushed me out of the car and the driver zoomed off,” she said.

Adekunle said at the time of the incident, there were no other vehicles on the road besides large lorries, and none of the drivers seemed to notice what was happening. 

She was left stranded at the scene until she was able to flag down a driver who gave her a ride back to Gwagwalada after she explained what had happened.

“What even surprised me that day was that there was no vehicle coming from behind,” she said. “Even some policemen that usually stay at the checkpoint near Anagada village were not there. So that is how they robbed me unchallenged.”

When asked if she reported the incident, Adekunle stated that she didn’t believe reporting it would help her recover her money. 

Police in Gwagwalada said they were not aware of the incident.