I had been a red cab taxi driver for about two years at that time, you know there were these small red cabs before Uber and Taxify came and scattered business for us.
I used to have my own clients, mostly traders who call me and I go to meet them maybe to bring their market or take them somewhere. Even then, some university students as well and bankers who close late were also my customers.
One day, around 11 at night, I had just left one of my trader customers, she sells materials at Balogun, Lagos island. I went to drop some materials for her at Iponri estate. If not for traffic, I would even have reached home early. I live at Ogba.
As a cab driver, I will not just be driving back in an empty cab na, so I was slowing down at bus stops and calling ‘Ogba, ogba’ or ‘ikeja…’at least to make extra money. No passenger came, instead they were calling Ipaja, Agege. Those were not my route, so around Stadium side, I still slowed down and was calling.
Then Isaw two guys and one lady, they were standing a little bit from the rest of the people at the bus stop. They stopped me, they said, they want to go to Shrine, say I should take them, they will give me N5,000k! At after 11 in the night?
In my mind, I said, ‘I will take you to oracle sef. No be inky shrine.’
Oya, e wo le! (climb in and let’s go)
See, because of the woman with them, I didn’t even have any mind of saying maybe these people are bad people. I just stopped the car and they entered. One guy was in front, the others sat at the back.
In my mind, I calculated that once I add the N5,000 join, I will have made N15,000! I got N7,000 from the trader and before then, I had made about N2,000 from one drop. So I was happy; because cost of N2,500 fuel has been covered.
Hummn
On Ikorodu road, the one in front said I should park.
I said, “Park ke? On the express?”
I looked at him and wanted to ask if he want to urinate or something.
But when I looked, I saw him with a knife, a long sharp knife. My head just swell up! I started shaking on the steering. Ha, I have entered gau! Have I carried armed robbers?
I started begging them. I said, ‘please, I don’t have money, take everything, I have a wife and two sons at home.’
I was shaking!
The woman at the back was just laughing, she was laughing kiakiakia saying she will remove my manhood if I don’t cooperate.
In my mind I asked again, abi I have used my own car to carry ritualists?
So, around that Anthony junction after Obanikoro side, still on the express, o. I parked.
I was begging them. The two men just started raining slaps on me.
They started asking for my money, they dragged me out and searched my pockets, under my car seat, they took everything, all the while, I was begging them.
After they took all my money, they said they will kill me. I started crying and begging the woman to beg the men not to kill me. I told her I have a wife and children at home.
That was when she began to laugh her kiakiaka laugh again.
She told the men to stop beating me that she wants to see how I perform.
Perform as how? I didn’t even realise what she was saying until she told me to remove my trousers. Even then, I still did not even think anything like that, me I thought she wanted to take my manhood for money ritual. Then I saw she was removing her skirt, she was pulling it up, ha, for what! This time it was the boys who were laughing.
She told me I should perform on her. She pulled her skirt up and lean on the car and turn her back to me and said I should perform or the boys will kill me.
How will that happen? The beating and slap and knife I was seeing have already made me shrink, so how will I rise to perform?
I just began to beg her. The boys just started beating me again saying they will kill me if I don’t perform.
In my life, I have never been so ashamed and afraid! How does a man rise like that in that situation? On the express road! Then one of them just stabbed my hand. Ha, that was when I knew these people will just kill me like chicken on the road. I begged them but it was more slaps and even sef at that time, I was not even seeing well, the slaps have closed my eyes.
So in my mind, I began to think of all the blue films I have watched before. I began to remember them and small time, my manhood began to rise, hmm, I penetrated her, I was just pushing and pushing and she just said I should push harder.
Hummn
What were the boys doing?
They were watching and laughing and smoking heavy igbo.
After sometime, she just move away, pull down her skirt and say I no sabi do.
Hummn.
I was just begging for my life; so we enter the motor again and one of them was driving; then around that Ipodo side, they just stopped the car and walked away and took my clothes. So that I won’t run and report to police.
What will I tell police? That some people beat me, took my money and woman rape me?
No o. I drove back to my house; God so good, I have some old work Tshirt and jeans in the boot that I use when I carry load, as you know I help traders carry load.
I took it and wore it home. I did not even say one word to my wife. What will I tell her? That one woman rape me?
Joo, there are some stories you will never tell.
This thing happened to me about 5 years ago. It is only now that I have mouth to tell somebody about it.
-Series compiled and edited by Peju Akande and based on true stories.