A reporter's close shave with death

• Published date: 21 January 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

It was September 29, 2021, a Wednesday, and like is natural with newspapers reporters, we had closed late, around 11pm, and were heading home via Isolo-Oke-Afa en route Ikotun area where I reside.

We were three in the car: myself, my oga, Ogochukwu Ikeje and Adeola Ogunlade, our Religion Correspondent.

It was all smooth from my The Nation office on Fatai Atere Way until we got past the Oke-Afa Bridge and approached Jakande Gate Junction.

As we negotiated a bend, I suddenly noticed a vehicle trying to overtake me in a rather rude and rough manner. I say rude and rough because the driver tried to squeeze his space bus in between my car and another car on a two-lane road, almost shoving me into the gutter on the right. I was driving a Hyundai i10, possibly, he figured my car was small and he could squeeze in and drive through, but he clearly endangered us and our vehicle, so I stepped on my accelerator, sped ahead of him and insisted on my lane, blocking him in the process.

This obviously infuriated him, and he became rougher and made further attempts to overtake me, but I closed the space. At a point, we even exchanged some harsh words. As we got to the Jakande Junction, we encountered the usual bottleneck, which enabled him to get ahead of me, but instead of him driving off as is usual in such cases; he blocked my right side, narrowing the space in the process. Then he alighted from his car, pulled down the traffic officers' metal shed to block the only other space, blocking and trapping me in the process.

We sat in the car, all glass wound up, wondering what he was going to do. Next, he brought out a leather whip and we were wondering if he was going to line us up and start flogging us. He tried the doors and found they were secured.

Next, he smashed my driver's side's mirror; then he went round and smashed the other side mirror. We thought that would be all, but to our surprise, it was just the beginning, as he smashed the windscreen with a stone. At this point, I immediately knew we were dealing with a lunatic. I got out of the car to try to stop him; but he went round and smashed the back screen. He then proceeded to break all the side glasses, even breaking one of the rear lights.

At a point, it occurred to me to hit back by smashing his car, but it dawned on me that would spoil my case. I would not join him in the madness.

But he was not done. When he was done smashing all the glasses on the car, he came after me with a huge stone, the same one he used in...