When He Flashed The Light, I Became Alarmed, I Tried The Door, But He Pulled Out A Gun -Ifenyinwa

According to a report by Punch News, on Saturday, January 3, 2026, Lagos-based legal practitioner Ifeyinwa Christopher shared a harrowing account with Grace Oedema regarding a brutal assault and robbery she survived on the Asaba–Benin Motorway in Delta State. The ordeal began on the night of December 19, 2025, when she boarded a cab from Koka to visit her mother in Ogwashi-Ukwu.

After being dropped at a junction, she entered a different vehicle that offered to take her further for a negotiated fee. Rather than taking the direct route to the village, the driver claimed he would go through Issele-Ukwu, but he soon veered off the road into a secluded bush area.

She said, “When he flashed the light, I became alarmed. I tried the door, but he pulled out a gun.” Initially fearing she was being kidnapped, the lawyer heard the assailant claim he had killed younger victims before, noting that her age made her a different target.

He demanded her belongings, seizing a bag containing her new birthday phones, market purchases, and cash. Despite her attempts to appeal to his conscience as a pastor, the man struck her repeatedly with a heavy metal rod, causing a significant neck wound and physical trauma.

The violence escalated as the driver began biting her face, specifically targeting her left eye in what she believed was an attempt to harvest her organs. In a desperate bid for survival, she managed to kick the car door open and tumble out.

As she lay on the ground, the driver intentionally reversed and drove over her body multiple times, accelerating in a clear attempt to crush her. Through sheer determination, she regained enough strength to leap toward the motorway, prompting the attacker to flee in a different direction.

Severely injured and with failing vision, she hid in the brush until daybreak. In the morning, she encountered two masons and some children. Though they were initially hesitant, her pleas for help moved them to raise an alarm, and the villagers eventually transported her to a hospital.

While receiving initial care, the police took her statement and photographs of her wounds, yet the recovery process was hindered by a disorganised medical system. She was later transferred to a specialist facility, where she faced further delays in seeing necessary experts like ophthalmologists and maxillofacial surgeons.

The legal professional expressed deep frustration with the lack of government and security presence, noting that the motorway remains dark and Unprotected despite being a known hotspot for similar robberies.

She highlighted the indifference of officials who promised to visit but never followed up, emphasising that her survival was due to personal connections and divine intervention rather than a functional state safety net.

Deeply disenchanted by the lack of protection for citizens and the bureaucratic hurdles within the police force regarding jurisdictional boundaries, she admitted that the experience has left her feeling unsafe in Nigeria and considering seeking citizenship elsewhere.

If you love political news or like to get more news happening around the globe, use the button below to get more verified news happening around Nigeria and the world today.