Edo police arrest 5 kids for stealing a bus

AISAGBON OMOGIADE · Feb 26, 2009 , 11:21 AM

LINK-NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

Five kids have been nabbed by the Edo State Police Command for allegedly stealing a bus. The bus, a white Nissan Vanette with number plate XH 883 BEN, belonging to Mr. Sunday Ajiboye, was said to have been stolen from where it was parked on Monday by the boys.

The teenagers reportedly started the bus with the aid of a pair of scissors. The bus was said to have been driven by one of the boys for over five hours.

The boys, who were paraded at the state police headquarters in Benin City by the Police Command, gave their names as Lucky Ali, 12 years; Emmanuel Christopher, 11 years; Osato Osaro, 10 years; Osarumwense Eguagbonye, 12 years and Godspower Favour, 11 years.

The boys said that they saw the bus in a house and decided to take it when one of them complained that the bus belonged to a driver he had worked with as a conductor but who refused to pay him after the day’s work.

One of them, Eguagbonye, said that they pushed the bus from Iyaro in Benin metropolis to a place near the Oba’s Palace, also in the city centre, before they used a pair of scissors to start it.

agbonizuanghwe · Feb 26, 2009 , 04:07 PM

The tragedy of a failed system. The ones not big enough to play are the ones who lose

RAYNOSA · Feb 26, 2009 , 04:15 PM

Re: Edo police arrest 5 kids for stealing a bus..........You mean Joy-riding........

Kini Big Deal?

agbonizuanghwe · Feb 26, 2009 , 05:17 PM

Originally Posted by RAYNOSA

Re: Edo police arrest 5 kids for stealing a bus..........You mean Joy-riding........

Kini Big Deal?

Nigerian children do not do joy rides unless of course they are ajebota like you

Bill Carson · Feb 26, 2009 , 07:12 PM

Edo police arrest 5 kids for stealing a bus
Submitted by AISAGBON OMOGIADE

Bros Omogiade,

How come the Boys did not turn In to Goat or Lizard and escape?

Peace!

Onowu1 · Feb 26, 2009 , 07:35 PM

Bad teenage exuberance. I'm not condoning it but that's life of this computer game generation. Nigerian police is the worst sector of failed Nigeria state aided by Nigerian press. They can not distinguish youth crime from premedidated criminals. I do not condone this but it is fact of life when parents are absent or there is no positive role model in the society or when adults are more concern with daily survival. Doesn't this kids suppose to be in secondary/high school. Imagin what happen to this writer after obtaining my learners permit and decided to drive from Onitsha to Enugu for a footbal game. Please Villager, education me on Nigeian youth justice system: detensions, rehabilitations and education.

WaleAkin · Feb 26, 2009 , 08:05 PM

Joy riding...............No long thing, na de koko

WaleAkin · Feb 26, 2009 , 08:46 PM

Originally Posted by Onowu1

Bad teenage exuberance. I'm not condoning it but that's life of this computer game generation. Nigerian police is the worst sector of failed Nigeria state aided by Nigerian press. They can not distinguish youth crime from premedidated criminals. I do not condone this but it is fact of life when parents are absent or there is no positive role model in the society or when adults are more concern with daily survival. Doesn't this kids suppose to be in secondary/high school. Imagin what happen to this writer after obtaining my learners permit and decided to drive from Onitsha to Enugu for a footbal game. Please Villager, education me on Nigeian youth justice system: detensions, rehabilitations and education.

Onowu1,
To further buttress your point, one of my younger Cousins bought a second hand BMW 5 series in 1995, parked it at a Pal's residence and when it was time to return to school, University of Portharcourt, he drove the vehicle with 2 Ladies and a Male occupant, out of sheer youthful exuberance, they had a ghastly accident somewhere close to Sapele, one of the Ladies died instantly, she was the daughter of a popular Professor, she lost her life! Now this is my argument: When the news got to Lagos that Cousin G had an accident, the Parent could not believe that he actually owned a vehicle, they were shocked and perplexed.

Sometimes, I tend not to totally blame these Parents, we have our own Kids now and we know the pranks they play. Let me share a funny yet serious story with you, we were to go to church some weeks ago and as we prepared, I had to quickly do something in my garden shed and thus left my Boys in the conversatory. Now, I had seriously warned them about taking toys to church, they have been beaten on one or two occassions, "play with your toys at home, do not take them to church"-My definite rule. While I was busy in the shed(5mins max), the Boys took their remote controlled mini cars and hid them under the front seat and we left for church but luck was not on their side as they forgot to switch it off, one of the mini ignited itself and I caught them red-handed. This time around I didnt beat them but spoke subtly about the danger of disorbedience and by the time I was through, the eldest was crying and both asked that I forgive them, as usual with me, I hugged them and off we went to church

You see, we cant do without exuberances, I attended a FGC school for 2 years and that was the time Nigerian Airways had rebate tickets for returning school Children, my Parents saw me off to the tarmac(Then we had staircases instead of the now more convenient conveyor bridges), they hugged me well and turned back. My Guys and I disembarked from the plane and took a taxi to Durbar hotel Festac Town where we met with a business Man who was going to buy 4 elephant tusks from us, we actually bought this at a cheaper amount off some illegal rangers in Yola. I was less than 13 years old but very tall. Children must exhibit exuberant nature as this is part of life and the role of Parents comes into play by enforcing discipline and order at home.

Many of us took our parents cars without their consent, we drove Uncles and Aunties vehicles withour authorisation, we pilfer money from Daddies wardrobe, we sell artefacts that our Parents do not even know about...........(If they knew what we did, many of our parents would have died of hypertension and chronic diarhorea). I am not supporting these Kids but let the truth be told, they are bored! Taking about boredom, how many Youth centres do we have in Edo state? Do we even have a common TABLE SOCCER (Saun) game provided by the government? Go to Rowe park Yaba and tell me if its still functioning? The National Stadium, Surulere has been turned into a beer parlor arena. The only functional kids arena are situated in Lekki Phase 1 and you are here telling me the Kids should be punished?

Abeg.......

RAYNOSA · Feb 27, 2009 , 07:59 PM

@WaleAkin
Joy riding na big grammer for NPF.

Shikenna

IZONERE · Feb 27, 2009 , 08:07 PM

Errrr....did you guys miss the part where it was stated that one of the kids was a bus conductor and had not been paid by the bus driver? Dis wan no get anything to do with computer generation oh! These kids probably live on the streets!

RAYNOSA · Feb 27, 2009 , 08:37 PM

One of them, Eguagbonye, said that they pushed the bus from Iyaro in Benin metropolis to a place near the Oba’s Palace, also in the city centre, before they used a pair of scissors to start it.

FYI.............I guess this my zone "OGBE QUARTERS"

WaleAkin · Feb 27, 2009 , 08:45 PM

Originally Posted by IZONERE

Errrr....did you guys miss the part where it was stated that one of the kids was a bus conductor and had not been paid by the bus driver? Dis wan no get anything to do with computer generation oh! These kids probably live on the streets!

................And if I may ask, is living on the streets a positive social status?

Miliki Way · Feb 27, 2009 , 09:07 PM

The teenagers reportedly started the bus with the aid of a pair of scissors. The bus was said to have been driven by one of the boys for over five hours.

Teenagers? I thought you have to be 13 and above to qualify as a teenager.

The boys, who were paraded at the state police headquarters in Benin City by the Police Command, gave their names as Lucky Ali, 12 years; Emmanuel Christopher, 11 years; Osato Osaro, 10 years; Osarumwense Eguagbonye, 12 years and Godspower Favour, 11 years.

Enforcer · Feb 27, 2009 , 09:35 PM

The boys, who were paraded at the state police headquarters in Benin City by the Police Command, gave their names as Lucky Ali, 12 years; Emmanuel Christopher, 11 years; Osato Osaro, 10 years; Osarumwense Eguagbonye, 12 years and Godspower Favour, 11 years.

I am surprised no one seems bothered by the Police parading the children and disclosing their full names to the press.

The Nigerian police still has a long way to go!

WaleAkin · Feb 27, 2009 , 09:40 PM

Originally Posted by Enforcer

I am surprised no one seems bothered by the Police parading the children and disclosing their full names to the press.

The Nigerian police still has a long way to go!

My Chair,

Its not that we do not know that the NPF goofed with the public release of Minors (names) but in the scheme of things, the release of names is minute when compared alongside with parading them as "criminals". No?

agbonizuanghwe · Feb 27, 2009 , 09:47 PM

Thank you Izonere, these boys of 12 years and younger are being compared to uptown children with benevolent uncles and aunties. In their case the theft of the bus was not a mere prank, it was pay back! The bus taken did not belong to a family member and it was hotwired!

Young children pushed a bus for a considerabe distance and no adult stopped them or wondered what they were doing. They looked like 'mechanic children' and because it has become normal for children to work in Nigeria no one actually noticed that there was something wrong with what they were seeing

Boys younger than 12 hot wired a vehicle! And when they were caught by the police, they were paraded as criminals. Paraded!

It's a travesty!

Enforcer · Feb 27, 2009 , 10:00 PM

Originally Posted by WaleAkin

My Chair,

Its not that we do not know that the NPF goofed with the public release of Minors (names) but in the scheme of things, the release of names is minute when compared alongside with parading them as "criminals". No?

WaleAkin,

I know what you mean. But I wouldn't want to put both on a scale. Words are used wrongly by most people most of the time. Being called a criminal when no one can identify the children doesn't carry as much danger as when the identity of the so called "criminals" are discussed. Even when they are found quilty by a competent juvenile court, their identity should always be kept secret to protect them.

VOR · Feb 28, 2009 , 08:02 PM

Thanks Agbonizuanghwe.

People need to look deeper implications of this story. A young boy, probably from a low income family felt the only way to get justice is to hijack his boss's bus. Imagine the frustration and anger the child would have felt to make him hijack his oga's bus? "if I nor chop, you too nor go chop" - Do it yourself justice in Nigeria.

Why work and not pay the child? If the child has done something wrong, why not deduct some money from his wages instead of depriving the child of his income, income probably relied on by the boy's family?

One can only guess what happens in this case when the Nigerian Police Farce has already paraded the children as thieves. The owner of the bus will probably get away with not paying the boy's salary whilst the parents of the boys involved will be left to run helter skelter trying to bribe the police or getting their children out of this mess. At the same time going to "beg" the owner of the bus to forgive the child/children!!!

Originally Posted by agbonizuanghwe

Thank you Izonere, these boys of 12 years and younger are being compared to uptown children with benevolent uncles and aunties. In their case the theft of the bus was not a mere prank, it was pay back! The bus taken did not belong to a family member and it was hotwired!

Young children pushed a bus for a considerabe distance and no adult stopped them or wondered what they were doing. They looked like 'mechanic children' and because it has become normal for children to work in Nigeria no one actually noticed that there was something wrong with what they were seeing

Boys younger than 12 hot wired a vehicle! And when they were caught by the police, they were paraded as criminals. Paraded!

It's a travesty!