Ben's story

This is the story that has been making headlines in the last two weeks in Naija. It's a story of a US based car dealer, Ben, who recently came home to drop some cars for sale...

Read what happened to him...

For residents of the popular Akerele Street in Surulere, Lagos, a recent event will linger in their memories for a long time. It was the day armed robbers unleashed terror on the neighbourhood, leaving in their trail, sorrow, tears and blood. The unfortunate event happened right in front of the popular Olaiye Canteen on Akerele.

Ben, who just returned to Nigeria from his US base, went to Olaiya canteen with some friends, late Sunday evening. They had driven there in a mint-clean American Spec Seqouia Jeep. Unknown to them, they were apparently being trailed by ramed robbers.

Eye witnesses say immediately Ben and his friends got into the car, the robbers ordered everybody out while Ben who was driving was pushed out of the vehicle. That was perhaps the turning point of the whole tragic drama as fate played a cruel one on the recently married Edo-born car dealer.

Try as the armed robbers would to drive the jeep away, they failed simply because they did not realise the jeep had a neck gear as most American Specs do. The robbers tried unsuccessfully to move the car for about 3 minutes and when they realised they couldn't, they thought it was Ben who had demobilised the vehicle.

They quickly raised after Ben, who eye witnesses say ran towards the olaiya Restaurant. All this while, most of the shops including Olaiya had hurriedly locked up. 30 something year old Ben was caught and shot right in front of the restaurant where he had eaten a few minutes ago...he died on the spot...

US based Ben, who got married three months ago is in the morgue, waiting to be buried...died for nothing!

The most painful part of it was that Ben was due to leave Nigeria back to his US base three days before he was killed...he already booked his flight...

Ben is survived by his wife and parents who live with him in the US. Tell me, what is his new wife supposed to do now?

The way at which armed robbers have been operating in Nigeria in the last few months is alarming and painful...they've become bolder, robbing in daylight...holding up traffic and robbing vehicles...they've been visiting banks, hotels and even Night Clubs...they seem to have multiplied and also seem fearless...a few individuals have lost their lives...there was a case of an American producer killed right inside his hotel room on the Island... I haven't heard of any arrests...what is the Nigerian police doing?

There was a time when one would hardly hear stories of armed robbery, but now this guys are back, bolder and more dangerous

I know saying all this does not reflect well on Nigeria, but that's the reality. People are advised not to be caught in a traffic on the bridge anytime from 8pm, don't drive late at night...at least until the Nigerian police starting doing something about this situation...

It's sad! Hopefully this new administration will tackle most of the problems that make Nigeria a volatile society...