A Lagos commuter has detailed a frightening encounter after entering a suspected one-chance commercial bus while on her way to work.
In a TikTok video that went viral on Tuesday, the woman said she boarded what appeared to be an empty bus, with only one other female passenger seated at the back. She took the front seat, but shortly after the bus moved, the conductor repeatedly ordered her to fasten the seatbelt and insisted she put her phone inside her bag, claiming she needed both hands free.
She recounted that the conductor and another man began speaking aggressively, saying they “did not want trouble” and pressuring her to hide her phone. While she attempted to comply, the conductor allegedly tugged at the seatbelt to distract her as an accomplice tried to access her bag.
According to her, the suspects kept opening and shutting the bus door under the guise of fixing the seatbelt, directing her attention upward. She added that she initially trusted a well-dressed male passenger beside her, assuming he was not part of the group.
She later attempted to move to the back of the bus, only to discover her phone had already been stolen. In panic, she jumped out of the vehicle, threw her bag inside, climbed back in, and demanded her phone.
The men, shocked by her reaction, eventually returned the phone along with her change before she exited the vehicle.
She urged Lagos residents to stay vigilant, warning that although she recovered her phone, confronting suspected one-chance operators is extremely risky and could have had a far worse outcome.
