Amid the chaos caused by road accidents, building collapses, and fire incidents, among other emergencies, while many victims and their families are inflicted with trauma, there is a growing epidemic of first responders who steal money, phones, jewellery, and other valuables from injured victims and even the dead, CHIJIOKE IREMEKA writes
For families grieving the loss of loved ones in road crashes and other emergencies, the pain can be compounded by another distressing discovery that their personal belongings disappear in the chaotic moments following the accident.
One fateful morning in Oshodi, Lagos, while sniffing around for unusual stories, our correspondent spotted a chaotic scene towards the bus terminal.
Curiosity nudged him to the scene, where he noticed several young boys being flogged and beaten by leaders of the local transport union in Oshodi beside the flyover.
A weighty slap was landed on one of the boys’ cheeks, capable of perforating his eardrum. This spurred our correspondent to inquire about their offence(s) and why they were being emasculated in such a manner.
However, the discovery was more emotionally disturbing than the resounding slap received by the boy.
“Just a few minutes ago, an unidentified woman was crossing the expressway and was knocked down by an oncoming vehicle. Instead of taking the woman out of danger, these boys abandoned her and were fighting over her handbag and phone,” one of the union workers, identified as Adeoti, told our correspondent.
