The activities of suspected fraudsters,‘One Chance’ in Abuja have been on a tremendous rise leading to a massive outcry by young Nigerians especially ladies in the capital city of Nigeria.
‘One chance’ is a slang used to describe the activities of criminal-minded persons who pretend to be cab drivers and pick up passengers with the intention of taking them to their destination but Enroute, these criminal-minded drivers with other accomplices (who pretend to be passengers) attack unsuspecting passengers and strip them of all their personal effects and belongings.
Some of these attacks lead to the death of the unsuspecting passengers, especially where the passenger is thrown out of a moving car or tries to engage these criminal elements in a scuffle.
While many Nigerians are of the opinion that the increasing rate of ‘One Chance’ is as a result of the poor economy and increasing unemployment rate, others have blamed the mode of dressing of these young ladies who stand on major roads as an attraction to drivers and operators of ‘One Chance’
But in this report, DAILY POST encountered some ladies who shared their sad stories while calling on the FCT minister and the FCT police command to put an end to the scary encounter ladies have to go through daily while commuting to their respective places of work/business.
It has, however, remained a conjecture that the dressing of these young ladies has made them targets of ‘One Chance’ activities, as men have equally fallen victims on several occasions.
Speaking with DAILY POST, a victim of ‘One Chance’, Amarachi Nwachukwu narrated her experience after she boarded a cab from Area 1 to Jabi on a fateful Tuesday.
“I boarded a cab at Area 1 to Jabi with a passenger in it who was to alight on the way. On getting to Utako, the passenger asked the driver to stop for him to come down. When the driver brought the car to a halt, the passenger brought out a dollar note for payment, thereafter, an argument ensued between the passenger and the driver as the driver refused to collect the dollar note.
“The passenger who was speaking in French pretended not to understand English, even as he requested to be taken to the French Embassy rather than his initial destination.
“I was sitting at the back and tried to intervene with my little knowledge of the French language as I was in a hurry to get to work. Suddenly I got so engrossed, immediately I started speaking with the French guy and that was how he showed me a trick of paper being turned into dollar, which made me uncomfortable to continue my trip with that cab, and when I wanted to alight from the cab, a gun was pointed at me.
“I was asked to surrender my ATM card and pin as the driver went to the nearest ATM point to withdraw money while a gun was pointed at me in the car in case my pin failed.
“After they successfully took money from the ATM, they started the car and stopped along Area 3 express and they threw me out of the vehicle, which resulted in injuries.
“I survived the push by God’s grace and since then I’ve been so scared about boarding ‘along’ cabs in FCT.”
Also, a victim, who pleaded to be anonymous told DAILY POST that the drivers have employed a new technique of using women as passengers. She disclose that some even disguise in NYSC uniforms to lure passengers into the vehicle pretending to be heading to a particular bus stop.
Narrating her encounter, she said, “I entered a cab from Berger to Apo bridge. Before I entered, I saw two other girls at the back with iPhones and on NYSC uniforms. I felt it was a good cab and entered. Shortly after I entered, the girls started a conversation with the driver and the passenger in front which got me uncomfortable but I stayed calm.
“On getting to that junction that takes you to the stadium, they turned and to my surprise, the girls in uniform pointed a gun at me to bring my bag and phone. I hesitated, but the other passenger in front turned and threatened me and I immediately gave them the bag and phone. Thereafter, they threw me out of the car.
“I was thankful that day for my life even though I lost my phone and money in my bag. I trekked that night to the main road where I met some kind-hearted people who helped me out with transport fare home.
“I’m calling on the authorities to find a lasting solution to this menace and secure the lives of Nigerian youths seeking daily bread and going about their businesses daily.”
The increasing rate of ‘One chance’ has not only put fear in the minds of young girls while commuting in Abuja but has also endangered many lives.
Recall that some operators of ‘One Chance’ were recently apprehended and burnt in Dutse Alhaji and Kubwa Expressway.
The FCT Police Command speaking on the menace of one chance in Abuja had assured Nigerians of its unwavering commitment to fighting ‘one chance’ robbery and reducing the crime to its barest minimum,
DSP Anjuguri Manzah, FCT Police Public Relations Officer encouraged the public to be security-conscious and report all suspicious persons or activities to the nearest police formation or contact the Command’s Control Room on the following Police emergency numbers: 08032003913, 08061581938, 07057337653
He, however, condemned the killing of three suspected one-chance robbers by an angry mob at Dutse Alhaji weeks ago.
Even though a lasting solution has not been proffered to this menace, DAILY POST can recall popular techniques residents of FCT should watch out while in a vehicle. These include discussions about dollar notes and money in the boot of a car.
