LIKE I PROMISED, THIS IS THE FULL STORY OF HOW I WAS ROBBED IN DAYLIGHT IN LAGOS IN FRONT OF PEOPLE AND NOBODY DID ANYTHING! So it happened in Ikeja, under bridge to be precise. I was heading to take a bus to Oshodi where I will board bus to Ile-Ife when I remembered I had a plug for ties. So I thought I’d quickly check his spot and buy one or two for school. I crossed the major 3-4 lane road under the bridge then I realized the place I was going to was actually where I was coming from. So I crossed back. From the crossing and crossing back, they probably assumed I didn’t know the area. Funny thing is I was born and bred in Lagos, Oshodi precisely. I lived there for 19 years. I know street culture. I know how these things go. But this one? I had never heard of it before. One guy approached me and he didn't say “give me your phone” or “bring your money”... instead he said: “Identify yourself. Why you dey wear black?” I was wearing just a black shirt and a blue-green jeans with ash slides. My heart first dropped... Why I dey wear black as how? I’ve never had any encounter with cultism in my life, and from everything I know about it, it’s something you don’t joke with or get mistaken for. People die over that kind of accusation. I immediately told him I wasn’t part of anything. That I was just going to take a bus. That’s when he knew I didn't know what was going on, and he sensed that fear and banked on it. He told me to move two steps to my right to another guy to “confirm” that I wasn’t one of the people they were retaliating against. The second guy doubled down, he said there was a cult clash going on and that I was wearing their color. That he and the other one were sent to “validate” and “neutralize” me. That they could drop me dead on the road and nothing would happen. At that point, I was genuinely scared for my life. They genuinely looked the part and sounded the part, although I didn’t see any weapon but I wasn’t ready to find out so I just cooperated. The second guy asked me to show him my recent pictures, then collected my phone as he was checking. He checked and saw nothing then he went to WhatsApp and searched words like “Aye” and other names but still saw nothing. After that he gave me back my phone, that’s when I relaxed a bit and thought, maybe these guys are actually cultists doing their thing. Then he asked a strange question: “Is there 36 or 89 in your password?”... that those numbers are usually used by that cult. That’s when suspicion kicked in. While this was happening, the second guy was pacing around, watching. I didn’t have the courage to grab my phone and run. Because if I was wrong and they were actually cultists that mistake could cost me my life. So I complied. I typed my password and that was it. He memorized it and typed it somewhere else. Then he asked what was in my bag. My laptop was there, but somehow I managed to convince him there was nothing important. He asked if I had cash. I said no. He took my AirPods. Then he told me the second guy would “take me for proper validation.” At that point, fear took over and after a couple of steps when I had a tiny opening, I ran! I ran straight to a bus about to move and just went to the nearest bus stop. Only then did I start borrowing phones, calling friends, and trying to block my accounts. The journey to Ife that day was the longest journey of my life. While on the road, I kept replaying everything. And it hit me that there was a 90% chance they were not cultists but only just area boys and fraudsters using fear, language, and confidence. When I got to school, I confirmed it. It is a common robbery style that people have also experienced in places like Under Ikeja Bridge, Berger, Ojota, Ketu under bridge. They use lines like “Why you dey wear this color?” or “Tie your shoelace” (while the other one distracts or threatens you quietly) And funny how everything is done in public, calmly, so nobody suspects anything. So please, learn from my mistake. If any stranger approaches you with cult accusations, strange commands or forced familiarity don’t explain, don't cooperate just clutch your belongings and RUN IMMEDIATELY!! Run towards people and shout “THIEF!” Create a scene and attention around you! Fear is what they sell, once you buy it, they take everything else. I’m sharing this story so someone else doesn’t learn the hard way like I did cos if I had heard of this pattern before it wouldn't have worked for me. Nigeria is a scary place to be, you need to stay informed and alert. God bless you.