Nnenna’s experience was replicated in Kelechi Akaeze who left his Area 1 office at 10pm on the way to his house at new Karu, in Nasarawa state. Immediately I got to the Area 1 bus stop, I sensed that all was not well, apart from the fact that it was late and there were not many vehicles around, I counted about four or five strange looking guys just milling around the bus stop so instinctively, I walked down the road close to the Area 3 junction but unknown to me, I had simply worked into their den as two hefty guys sprang up from nowhere and pounced on me demanding for my handsets and money. In the end, I had to part with both my handsets and five thousand naira’
Salisu Habeeb, an Abuja based cab driver told this medium that ‘the fear of area one bust stop at night is the beginning of wisdom for all commuters. The Area One bus stop is really popular for handbag snatchers, pick pockets and one chance drivers not to talk of the activities of the motor park touts who terrorize us on a daily basis. At least almost everybody I know has one bad experience or the other about that motor park’
Welcome to Area One bus stop located in the heart of Nigeria’s capital city. Investigation by this medium reveals that commuters plying the road have different bitter tales to tell about the bus park. While the activities of pick pockets and petty thieves flourish touts usually have a field day intimidating and harassing drivers who refuse to dance to their tune. One of the drivers at the bus park told Sunday Trust that ‘this area one bus stop is one of the most dangerous motor parks in Abuja because, it is here that you find all manner of activities which range from touting to snatching of hand bags.” Another commuter who gave his name as Hammed Sabitu told this medium that “whenever I find myself in Area One bus park, I am usually very careful because you never can tell when theses boys will accost you and demand for your valuables. The situation is even worse at night. If you come here at night, you will see all manner of questionable individuals loitering around the park and at times, you wonder if they actually sleep in the park”.
But in a chat with this medium, one of the officials of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW who identified himself as Hassan Mohammed opined that “actually, there has been a lot of complaints about this park especially concerning the way people’s hand bags are snatched and stuffs like that but our union is making sure that we don’t encourage touting in this park. All the people you see around this place insulting people are not our members and part of what we do is to discourage them from operating in the park.” He said.
Dayo Olagunju, a cab driver told this medium that ‘there are a lot of controversies surrounding this park. First they relocated to a section very close to the Conoil filling station where all the buses usually offload their passengers but less than two months later; they took them again to a different place. Now the problem is that people of questionable characters have taken over the old park especially if you go there at night. You will see young men smoking all kinds of substances and God helps you if you have mistakenly walked into their camp.’ But while reacting, DSP Moshood Jimoh, the Force Public Relations Officer, for FCT command told Sunday Trust that “the police is on top of the situation in Area One. We have deployed a number of patrol vehicles to the area in order to ensure that the law does not break down and that innocent people are not molested.
Only yesterday, we arrested six people who tried to snatch some people’s bags. So what we are saying is that ordinarily, there is no way we can identify genuine commuters from those who want to snatch people’s bags or pick pockets, the public can assist by being alert and vigilant at all times. We have also deployed patrol teams to the area to ensure that the activities of criminals are reduced to the barest minimum,” plain clothes security men have also been dispacthed to the major bus stop to curtail the activities of these miscreants.”
