One-chance robbers terrorize PH/Obio-Akpor, rob passengers with POS machine

Okenyi Kenechi

One Joseph O has narrated how he was robbed by one-chance thieves on Thursday in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State as reports of one-chance robberies indicate that the trend is currently growing in Port Harcourt and other surrounding towns.

Joseph told theportcitynews that he was coming back from work and was dropped off at Eliozu junction by a colleague at about 8 pm.

He said that on walking down to the bus stop, the spot opposite the flyover connecting to Eliozu community where he wanted board a taxi going to Happy Bite by Rukpoku, an ash-coloured Volkswagen Jetta pulled over to carry him.

He said he never suspected anything and jumped in and on their way, the driver pulled out a pistol and asked him to be quiet and cooperate otherwise they will kill him.

He said the passenger sitting beside him too pulled out a gun and put it to his head. In the car, they were two in front plus the driver and two at the back including him making it a total of six persons.

He said that when the one beside him asked for money and he said he doesn’t have, he used the gun butt to hit him on his head and immediately he started bleeding.

He said the passenger sitting close to him collected his phone, put his hands in his pocket, collect his wallet, went straight to his ATM card and collected it also.

He said he was shocked to find out that they had a Point of Sale, POS machine with them and asked for his pin which he gave them.

According to him, the gang member operating the POS machine, after slotting the atm card into the machine on seeing his account balance and confirming he has no money, asked the one beside him to shoot him on the leg. However, another member of the gang refused, saying it will raise alarm, so they took him to the roundabout close to Market square and U-turn coming back to Eliozu flyover and dropped him off and went away with his ATM card and phone.

He said that from what they were saying inside the car, it is not the first time these criminals have been operating on that road.

A trader had on Wednesday narrated how she was robbed by one-chance robbers in Port Harcourt. She told theportcitynews that the gang had a female member, adding that on seeing the female in the taxi, she never suspected anything and boarded the vehicle.

She said that upon getting to Slaughter area of Port Harcourt, one of the gang members pointed a gun at her and collected her bag containing N40 000 which she wanted to use and buy wares for her shop. She said that they also collected her cell phone and pushed her out of the vehicle before zooming off.