A luxury bus conveying secondary school girls from Enugu to Lagos State was attacked by armed robbers at the Okeodo end of Ore-Sagamu Expressway, Ogun State on Saturday around 11:40pm..
The students numbering 42 were of Holy Cross College, Enugu and had hired the bus belonging to Ekene Dili Chukwu Group of Companies with registration number Lagos XW 875 LSR, for their travel to Lagos.
The assailants dragged the students into a nearby bush and beat them before robbing them of their belongings. Unconfirmed reports however said a few of them were raped.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the students had departed for Lagos early in the afternoon on Saturday but were held up in traffic and had to continue the journey into the night.
The report said the bus developed some faults along the way and had to park at Oke-Odo.
It was while the occupants of the bus were waiting for another bus from Lagos that the robbers struck, it added.
It was learnt that families of the victims, who were already at the Lagos office of Ekene Dili Chukwu, to pick up their children were anxious when they learnt that the bus developed fault.
Our correspondent was told that news of the robbery caused a mild protest as they panicked.
Calm however returned to the terminal on Sunday morning after the distraught girls arrived in Lagos. Meanwhile, parents and relatives of the victims have threatened a show-down with the transport company.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Ogun State Command, Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed the attack, told our correspondent that policemen had rescued victims and recovered the vehicle.
He said, “Around 7:30am on Sunday, one Friday Odi, a driver working with Ekene Dili Chukwu, Nig. Ltd, who drove the vehicle with registration number, Lagos XW 875 LSR, reported that at 11:40pm, on Saturday, while conveying 42 female students of Holy Cross Rosary College, Enugu to Lagos, armed men in Oke Odo area, along Ore-Sagamu Expressway stopped their vehicle.
“The hoodlums drove them to a point in the bush where they were robbed. Policemen traced the hijacked bus, rescued and evacuated the students to their Lagos destination. They towed the vehicle to the station and released it to the owner on bond. Nobody was injured.”
PUNCH Metro learnt that the matter was also reported at Sabo Police Division, Lagos.
The spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Mr. Joseph Jaiyeoba, however told our correspondent that the case would be handled by the Ogun Police Command under whose jurisdiction the crime took place.
A member of the National Union of road Transport Workers, attached to the Jibowu terminal, who spoke with our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, said the relatives of the victims picketed the Lagos office of the transport company on the grounds that some of the victims were raped.
“Some of the parents claimed that their daughters were raped. I think a 13-year-old girl was raped by the hoodlums,” he said.
The police in Lagos and Ogun states, however, said that they were unaware of any rape.
Culled from Punch
59 comments:
ah!!!!! nah wah ooooo...... beating them and taking their belongings is not enough...why rape the young girls why???? im not suprised at the police sayin they are not aware of any rape. mtchew..... it is well
what kind of nonesense is this biko nu???? so where exactly do the police and soldiers in this bloody country mount their road blocks and shit while this kinda things are going on! abeg govt scrap road blocks cos me i believe it all these police and soldiers that perpetuate this evils. kai. poor things
Dis is serious... What kind of a man rapes a thirteen year old girl...
Holy Rosary College not Holy Cross. May God be with them!
For heaven’s sake, why should they take those children through that evil road at night. Traveling at night is very dangerous though it's God that protects but with the bad roads and insecurity on the roads its a bit safer traveling in daylight
Read about this earlier this morning from a news site and the details were more vivid. It's really pathetic, young girls most of which I believe were still virgins up to that time subjected to such an ordeal. What's it about rape this days? Hardly two days pass without hearing one. Is armed robbery not complete without a rape? Am sorry for them, alot trauma...
Let us all voice out in any little way we can against such a heinous crime against the female gender!
Ds is sick and sad,God will raise his anger on those hoodlums they and 3 generations after will not know peace. It is in d scriptures.
Ds is sick and sad,God will raise his anger on those hoodlums they and 3 generations after will not know peace. It is in d scriptures.
Stupid,heartless kinda men......+ we aint gt police in dis country.....D̶̲̥̅̊ε̲̣̣̣̥γ̲̣̣̥ r all useless
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Lord have mercy!
so sad d r just kids and as for d people that did this ur hell beings on d day u rape d these kids and i hope there parents take them to d hospital
SAD! When will this menace stop? A question FROM iNaija
May God punish then for what they did. The injustice is too much. These stupid thieves and rapists are walking all among us
oh Jesus my people. This things must stop
Hey i don tire 4 naija, why them go rape those small girl nah! This is outrageous! God will arrest them. OFFICIAL JAMB 2012 CUT OFF MARK FOR NIGERIA UNIVERSITIES AND POLYTECHNIC. CHECK HERE
But why would the school allow them to embark on a night journey especially in Nigeria of today? They are too young to be on Naija roads that late.
So sad...
Its high time government looked into the activities of some public transport operatives. Most of their buses barely go for maintenance until passengers are dumped so where along the road, as a result of faulty engine.
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@Atobatele, exactly my thought. Why must this journey be made at night? The road is not safe in broad day light, let alone 11pm. If I were parents of these girls, I will sue the school authority because they owe these girls duty of care. This is sad.
The raped girls must be put on medication against aids immediately. If they have relatives in the UK ,they must contact them immediately for this medication.It is free of charge.It only works if taken within a certain time of unprotected sex.They can also call voice of Africa radio in London on 0208 8010123.The radio station can also help.
my question is why did this girls have to continue the journey wen night came? are they not aware of the insecurities on the roads @ nit?
Omg..linda i passed them on my way to lagos at Ore at about 6pm.
I am, the no Sender.
True. We've lost it as a nation. No more human sympathy. Even if na hemp and cocaine these robbers smoke and sniff, their eyes no fit recognize kids?
Now something evil has come upon these poor kids especially for those raped. The psychological trauma that this might bring on them in later years is terrible and
unimaginable.
But then, should the students have been allowed to hit the road for Lagos at late afternoon by the school, Holy Rosary? What kind of management is that making decisions like this?
If I were a parent of any of these poor kids, I'd sue the last breath off the School and Transport co.
Kids, so sorry for whatever it's worth.
What is this rubbish? Robbing school girls, really? And raping them? Disgusting!
And for those asking why they were travelling at night, you missed the part in the post where the bus developed problems thus extending the day trip into night, right? Mscheewwww!
Linda u re jonzing oh pls confirm if dbanj and Genevieve's story is true ohhh
Stupid nonsense buses. Alwys break down.its like a norm for them. Putting bad buses on d road. Y continue the journey wit a bus load of gals. Wat nonsense. Ma hart goes out tu this gals. God comfort them. Let it not b a setback in there lifes ijn.
I just spoke to my mum and she confirmed that the story of robbery .
My junior sister who is 14 is in that school.
She was meant to come and visit me this Easter in Lagos. I change my mind cos i wanted to spend Easter at home with my folks so she had to stay back in the east.
She could have been in that bus.
I thank God but feel terrible about her fellow students that would have been affected.
HOW CRUEL,
HOW MEAN,
HOW INHUMAN,
HOW COLD BLOODED,
HOW HEARTLESS.
They are just kids how could they rape helpless uniformed girls going back home after terms of being away from home. What if they had HIV. Oh God
ONOME says.....................................
Sick.vile.disturbing.
I find the lack of responsibility on the part of the adults who accompanied the children reprehensible.Why was the journey allowed to go on at night?We all know the abysmal security situation in Nigeria at present so WHY IN HEAVEN'S NAME WAS THE BUS ON THE ROAD WHEN IT BECAME DARK?I would have thought that with night approaching,the trip would have continued the next day and the girls lodged into a hotel or the group stayed overnight at a police station or church.Well this is a country where people think with their backside.
Sadly nothing will come out of this.The culprits will not be caught.Just another sad story filled in the dusty archives of Nigeria's failed judiciary system.
To the girls,una doh.Wipe ur eyes dry.Get Postinor immediately.And Get to the hospital fast for antiretrovirals.You may have adverse reactions to the ARVs but make sure you complete the 4weeks.You do not want to be retroviral positive.Sorry girls.Be strong.
Dis is very sad! Pls d transport company shld b shut down! Deir buses keep breaking down on d high way!we all knw dis country isn't safe! Y travel with kids @ night by road! Tank Gid dey wernt used for rituals!
Don't mind our Nigerian Police! They are never aware of anything!
A very sad story.However my thoughts are anyone travelling on Nigerian roads at night is playing dice with their lives.
I feel sorry for the girls as they were young and the decision to allow a night journey was made by the school.
No one can blame the Transport company as they are a business. The penultimate question is,did the parents know thier young children were travelling at night??
U also missed the part where it says the bus left enugu terminal in the afternoon. Abi is enugu to lagos 5hrs journey?
men this is really bad and GUCCI is not happy about it. some needs to be done on our security. This is 100% bad, men.
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where are we heading to in this national?secondary school girls on excursion been attacked?god help us in this country
QF
..and i tot i ws comin here to 4get my sorrows...hueva did ds will neva escape d long arm of justice. 4d police nd soldiers...hmmm....r u guyz ds daft nd useless, al u do is to collect moni frm drivers shamelessly. Is it so wrong 4u guyz to curb ds evil goin in d country?...tufia...failures...mayb wn dey start rapin ur daughters dn ul sit up. Bunch of nonentities,idiots!!!...mschewww
ANONYMOUS 10:23 why must PEP post exposure prophylaxis come from london? am sure it is available in Nigeria or don't you have confidence in the ones in nigerian hospitals http://www.who.int/hiv/topics/prophylaxis/info/en/index.html for more info on PEP the parents should take the girls for checkup immeadiately and as for those policemen wait until one of their own gets raped then maybe they will acknowedge that it actually happens. as for the assailants may your penises get some untreatable disease and shrivel impotency and castration are your portions. Little girls be strong it shall be well and they ALL need to be given counselling
QF
parents pls, dnt let ds pass, FYT!(nt wt ur fist anyway), until justice is served...dt skul hs 2b closed down, dos adults dt travelled wt dm shud av taken ds girls bac 2d town nd lodged dm there 4d nyt, DUMMIES. Dt company shud also b sanctioned, it hs bcom a habit 4deir buses to brk down. As 4d rapist, dey shud hang dm by d balls...BUFFALOS
it's unfortunate this is happening.
just tears
The same useless police that advise battered women to go see their Pastors..irresponsible hopeless leaders breed a equally hopeless population..the trip did start in the afternoon but ended late for all the myriad of problems on naija roads..but common sense should have prevailed as someone had said..why not put them in a hotel..church..this brings some bad memories cos 2 of my sisters have been in this situation but were very lucky..after the plane crashes a lot of people took to the roads and Arned robbers were ready..hope they get adeqaute medication and therapy cos the local leaders and justice system wouldn't do zilch..
D no of crime increase every day since oga ig sent our bros out road.
OCCUPY RAPE NIGERIA
These innocent children were goin home for holiday for christ's sake! Wat could those criminals possibly think they'll get frm them? The perpetrators of this cruel act shall never see peace!
How cruel and mean, raping small girls and our police is messed up.
The journey actually started at 7.30a.m. but they changed buses in the afternoon due to a breakdown. The 2nd bus also broke down. When night fell, the driver was asked to stop for the night but he refused.
So, so, so sad.
The students didnt live at early afternoon,dey left in d mawnin,d report wz wrng abt dat.even at dat itz nt d skul authority's fault dat d bus developed fault on d road 2.
This is just sad, just sad :-(
No accountability anywhere
Not from the Bus company
Not from the School
1) They left in the afternoon, why on earth would the school not make sure that if they didnt leave in the morning, they werent going anywhere. Anyone who has traveled btw Lagos and the East, knows you take off in the Morning, esp if its public transport.
2) If the bus developed fault during the day time, why does the bus company not have a policy, given the kind of country one lives in, that you get the girls to a safe location, even if it means a hotel, even if its 10 to a room (4 rooms) and then having the family members at the Lagos station share the costs.
3) I'd like to add the driver to the mix, but know there was nothing he can do, without proper direction from Lagos.
4) It sucks cause No one cares, No one! No one cares about anyone in Nigeria, but themselves and their families. No one does.
There is no mention of mobile phones. I'm guessing school does not let the kids keep them in possession, but they are needed for trips like this. Parents need to make sure their kids can be reached at all time.
All this can be stopped. If our president and legislators can look into this RAPE case, it could stop. When a man rapes a ten years, we don’t know what happens to him. Behind bars for a while? For God sake they are minor, below 18yrs. You kill a part of that child. They are being cut, they bleed, they cry for help, they beg and they give up. That’s how it happens. That’s how one is being killed.
Let’s imagine the trauma they will live with forever, how mean or vulnerable they could be if justice is not taken to let them know it wasn’t ok. They could be hard core men hatters (No marriage, lesbians, men killers, mental illness) or prostitutes. If rape case is taken to another level of punishment, these killers will not think before they slap and jump on an innocent virgin.
Linda i wish you did not mention the school's name, to protect the kids.So sad,it really disturbed me.
My heart bleeds 4 dose kids.I'm enraged by d statement of d driver "Nobody was injured".I jt pray dat his 13-yr old daughter will neva b raped.
Where were the armed escorts??? God save us in this country.
This is so sad! I was raped at 13 too! Its very tramatic but shit happen all around the World not just Nigeria. While we are quick to judge the society, let's ask these parents is there no good school in lagos? That you have to send your children that far? I've we forgotten the plan crash that killed students? How about accidents? A lot of this mishap would have aleast bee reduced if parents take responsibilities too! I'm sick of parents sending their kids to a far away place in the name of better education! I love to be part of my kids life everyday! Talk to them and see if they are been molested by adults cos we obiviously live in a crazy world
Rape is slowly becoming an acceptable behaviour in Nigeria.People are no longer alarmed by it.It's a horrible thing to be numb to the suffering of another human being. It's time we address this issue before it gets worse
The families of the victims shd sue the bus company for every penny they have got.. They dont deserve to be in business, how can the management of a bus company be so poor to the extent of endangerin children's lives? Make una organise kidnap d ceo pikin abeg if he doesnt compensate the kids heavily.. Rubbish
How can the company be blamed,how can the bus drivers be blamed,the insecurities in our nigerian roads ,is pure negligence from our so called leaders,no good roads,no working street lights on so called long journey,no. Patrol vans checking seriously,rather the police men are the armed rrobbers .what a country
one word: SAD!!
I remembered this event today and was wondering if the perpetrators were caught and made to face the law eventually. I was dissapointed but not surprised that I didn't find any story that suggests they were caught. It makes me very angry.
I remembered this event today and was wondering if the perpetrators were caught and made to face the law eventually. I was dissapointed but not surprised that I didn't find any story that suggests they were caught. It makes me very angry.
This not just right at all, they will never unpunished
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