Commercial Bus Driver Docked For Attempted Murder And Rape!

By Uju Mbanusi

A commercial bus driver was Wednesday, arraigned before the Yaba Magistrate court for attempted murder and rape. The driver identified as Taiwo Balogun who pleaded guilty to the charges brought against him reportedly attempted to strangle a lone female passenger, following the latter’s resistance to be raped.

The victim, a trader at Iyana-Ipaja area of Lagos, Precious Adeboye,  was just discharged from the hospital following  injuries she sustained from the driver,on June 5, 2013.

Precious, told the court that she boarded a commercial bus that fateful day at Iyana-Orile bus-stop , heading to Iyana-Ipaja.

“ It was raining that evening and I was in a hurry to return home  when a bus stopped in front of me. Though I noticed there was no passenger  in the bus, I assumed  it would be filled  by the time we got to the next bus-stop. But on reaching  a petrol station around old Ipaja road, just before the Lagos State exams board office, the driver  told me that due to the heavy traffic at the Iyana Ipaja under bridge, he would go through a  short cut around  Orile Agege LCDA office at Arigbanla to connect Iyana Ipaja through Aboru junction.. I was however petrified when we spent several minutes navigating through inner streets without emerging anywhere.

I complained that I was afraid as I no longer understood where we were and where the driver was heading to. At a point I  asked him to stop so that I could alight and  find my way back to Iyana Ipaja bus stop. But he reassured  me  that we would soon get to the expressway where I would alight.

On getting to a dark area, the driver stopped  and told me he wanted to collect something. He got out and went behind the vehicle. Before I realized what was happening, he entered the vehicle from behind and grabbed me on the throat , trying  to choke me. I struggled to free myself   but he tightened his grips and started hitting  my face with a wheel spanner and in the process, inflicted grave injuries on me.

He also, grabbed one of my breasts and attempted to cut it off with a knife , wanting to strip off my clothes. When he saw I was not giving in, he went back to the steering and drove on. On reaching Pleasure area,  the bus suddenly stopped and refused to start despite his efforts. By that time, I had gained some strength and  ceased the opportunity to  open the door and  shouted, thereby attracting passers-by. But he abandoned the vehicle and fled”

Policemen at Iyana-Ipaja who were contacted reportedly traced the driver and charged him to court. But Taiwo was granted bail  to the tune of  two hundred and fifty thousand naira with sureties in like form. He was however, retained in prison  pending when he would meet the bail condition  and the case   adjourned to a later date.

Vanguard