Adventures Of Oko Ashawo The Uber Driver 39...

This man and all these stories sef!!!

Some days ago, I took a client from Lagos to Ibadan and dropped him off at about noon. On my way back to Lagos, around the Guru Maharaji end of the toll gate, I decided to pick up passengers along the way,somewhere popularly called "Soole". 

This is a common practice amongst drivers - picking up passengers along the way so as to make a few extra bucks. Though I've been hearing unsavoury tales of how drivers have been robbed or during a stop and search by the police, some passengers are found with 'exhibits', the lure of the little extra money that can be made often blinds us.

 Sometimes, drivers are unlucky as they fall into the trap set by the "agberos" in which they extort money for illegal loading.

 A driver was not so lucky one time as he had his windshield smashed when he tried to escape from the touts. On this fateful day, around the toll gate axis of Ibadan, I was able to pick up 2 passengers. As we drove for about 5 minutes, we got to a scene along the highway where people were gathered causing a little bit of traffic. 

I was curious to know what was going on and I suggested to my passengers that we should park and check things out. A guy was being held down on the road and people tried to stop him from trying to commit suicide by throwing himself at oncoming vehicles. 

He was wailing and crying that his life is finished. 

According to the story he told, he picked up a client from Ajah axis of Lagos and brought her to Ibadan the previous day. It was late when they arrived and the lady was benevolent enough to arrange an accommodation for him in a hotel since he couldn't return to Lagos because of the curfew, which starts at 10pm.

 He said since he was well paid and taken care of, he decided to stay back at the hotel to rest properly till 12pm when it was check out time. So, on his way back to Lagos, he picked up 3 passengers along the toll gate area close to Guru Maharaji - a male and 2 females. They had barely driven 5 minutes when one of the ladies said she was badly pressed and needed to ease herself. It was where the lady asked him to stop for her that two guys jumped out from the bush with guns and robbed him of all his monies and his phone. 

Worse still, his car was snatched and they all drove away in it. It was then it dawned on him that the passengers he picked up along the road were part of the robbery gang. He said he had nothing to look forward to anymore and it's better he ended his life there and then. 

The car that was snatched from him was hire purchase and he has almost finished making the full payment. Sadly, the car doesn't have a comprehensive insurance. I didn't stay too long there as I had to continue my journey back to Lagos. The guy was inconsolable as people calmed him down.

There's a proverb that says "the mistakes of others are good teachers". 

and i have learnt my lessons well from his story. Make person no go throway pounds wey dey pocket because he wan pick naira....

*Oko ashawo,it seems like no work for the ashawos you carry anymore oh...E don tey wey you gist us of them....