Luxury bus robbery victim lives to tell his story

Posted by admin Headlines Thursday, August 4th, 2011

Lokoja—It sounded like a fairy tale. About 16 of them were travelling in a luxury bus heading for Abuja. It was still dark. All of a sudden, they fell into the hands of the men of the underworld who ordered them to lie face down on the highway while they were dispossessed of their valuables. Before they knew what was happening, another luxury bus on top speed ran over them and two of them survived to tell the story.

One of the two survivors of the tragic incident, Chucks Joshua, aged 28 who narrated his ordeal to Vanguard yesterday on his hospital bed at the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja described his escape as miracle of the century.

Joshua, who was in tears gave thanks to God for making him to live to tell his story.

His words: “I come from Imo State. I boarded a luxury bus belonging to Chisco Transport company with registration number XL300ABC which was heading to Abuja. We were having a smooth ride all through until we got to a junction at about 5.30 am and suddenly our vehicle ran into a barricade of about 10 armed robbers some of whom were in police uniforms.

They subsequently ordered us out of the bus with a marching order that we all lie with our faces down at the centre of the road

“While they were dispossessing us of our belongings including large sums of monies and handsets, a luxury bus coming and unaware that people were lying on the road was also flagged down. But, on sensing danger the driver of the oncoming bus ignored the order to stop and that was all I knew before I found my self in this hospital”

The Hospital authorities at the Federal Medical Centre, lokoja claimed that the other survivor, a soldier whose identity they refused to disclose had been treated and discharged.

Also yesterday Governor Ibrahim Idris who visited the victim at the hospital to condole him directed that security should be beefed up in all parts of the state and prayed God to grant the soul of those that lost their lives in the tragic incidents eternal rest.

He also promised that the state government would pay the medical expenses of the victim just as the police said it has got intelligence report that the hoodlums who carried out the dastardly act were still within the state capital and hiding in an enclave in the thick forest at the Zaraigi end of Kabba Juction.

The command he said had already drafted a combined team of anti-riots and plain security men and was already combing the forest with a view to apprehending them.

The victims of the incident which occurred at the Zariagy-Kabba junction included 10 men, three women and a little girl.

-Sunwp_posts