Nigerians have reacted to the viral video of a young man who narrated how he was allegedly abducted and almost killed by suspected kidnappers after he boarded a bus at the Lekki-Ikoyo link bridge in Lagos state.
In the video recently shared on Twitter, the yet-to-be-identified man who appears to be a skate coach, said he had just finished his training at a facility on Lagos Island then decided to board a bus from the link bridge to Iyana Oworo.
He said: ”As I got into a bus that called Iyana Oworo, I noticed that there was this weird smell in the bus. Anybody who has been involved in military training or self defense will know gases that knock people off. That was what it was. So I spat in my handkerchief and used it to cover my nose.
“In about five or then minutes, every other occupants were all asleep asides from the team members who had all brought out their nose masks to cover their nose.”
He said at this point, their leader who was in front looked back and when he noticed he wasn’t asleep, he queried him. The victim said it was at this point he knew that the men were kidnappers.
He said he appealed to the men to take his phone valued at N1.3 million, his ATM so they can empty his account as well as a big chain he had on his neck worth millions, but they refused.
”They said the only place I am going to come down is where they will dagger me and pieces me. Because they saw that I was shouting, they veered off the road and went to the place that leads to Adeniji Underbridge.
“It was pitch dark. They brought me out and started using knife, cutlass, different things on me. I am fortified. I am an African.
“So when they saw that the stabbing attempts, that the knife was not entering…about three of them held my neck, another two held my hand to the back, they put knife on my neck to try and slash my neck and slaughter me but it wasn’t penetrating.
“I heard their leader telling them in Hausa that they should lie me down and use their boot to crush my head..
“About three of them were wearing army uniforms. About six of them held my hand and legs, two were using their boots to hit my eyes, hit my nose, they just wanted to knock me out.
“After some minutes, I just realized I was getting dizzy and I was about to faint and once that happens, these people will take me and do whatever they want.
“So I reached out for my bag which was on the floor and nobody noticed. I took out the knife and I started waving it in different direction so it cut one of them in the tummy.
“His tummy got bursted, another one in the eye and they started bleeding profusely. Their leader was now like they have gotten the remaining ones who are asleep, let them carry them and deliver them and that they should leave me,” the man narrated.
He said that was how he was abandoned by the kidnappers who left with the remaining passengers.
The video has sparked mixed reactions on Twitter with some Nigerians called him a liar while others are grateful to God he is alive to tell the story.
A netizen, Rankin said: “This story doesn’t add up ..so u always walk around with a knife in your bag pls be specific and u entered a bus where 3 or more people wore army uniform? Normally buses no dey carry pass 1 awua highest 2 ..so your story doesn’t add oga.”
An anonymous said: “Only your nose dey bleed Your eyes are not swollen neither are your lips. So you could not use the remaining strength to trace your team members but you fit do video. Shebi na Oscar you dey find.”
“Nonsense liar! You phone etc that expensive and you dey gan bus! Go and sit down! Clout chaser. Abi? Nor bi wetin you dey find be that? Your photo don show,” wrote another Nigerian who found the story unbelievable.
@MOXIEDRILLZ tweeted: “My question now is ; u have a phone worth of 1.3 million and a chain of 1 million but u still went ahead to enter a bus instead of Uber/taxify… bro am using iphone 14 pro max I don’t dare trek 100metres distance… Even ur crib doesn’t speak like u own those accessories…”
@techlinenigga warned Nigerians to be careful, stating that criminals are everywhere.
“Please be careful out there. Don’t enter strange buses out of haste. Be extra careful out there. Things dey happen oooo. Few days Ago it was Odogunyan Ikorodu . These criminals are everywhere.” While @fentywhiz said: “We all know this people are the problem Nigeria, politically and otherwise.”
Fefe is grateful to God he is alive. “Hmmmmm! God save us all. I am glad he’s able to come out alive,” she wrote.