Double M commuters robbed at gunpoint while stuck in traffic
Commuters from Eastlands aboard a Double M minibus were on Thursday robbed at gunpoint on Jogoo road while stuck in the morning traffic jam.
This was not the first of such incidents. Similar robberies have been committed along the road during heavy traffic.
During the 6am incident on Thursday, a gang of six smartly dressed men, who posed as passengers, whisked out guns and ordered other passengers to surrender their phones and money.
One victim who narrated his ordeal to Nairobi News, recounted how he had boarded the minibus at Bee Centre near Donholm.
Strangely, when they had reached the Donholm stage, he said, the conductor had asked the driver to drive off with a half-filled bus claiming that there are traffic police officers in the area.
SMARTLY DRESSED
“There were six smartly dressed men who boarded the bus at Donholm along with other commuters at Donholm. They evenly spread themselves to have one at the back, two in the middle and two others at the front,” recalled the commuter.
Moments after the six had boarded the minibus, the conductor reportedly told the driver to drive-off while he quickly alighted from the bus.
Shortly after, the six men stood up at once, and the one seated near the door ordered all commuters to surrender their phones and money.
“He together with the other man who was seated at the front next to the driver withdrew guns and threatened to shoot anyone who would not follow their orders,” he recounted.
The other gang members who were in the middle and back ransacked the entire bus, ordering commuters to handover their phones and wallets.
All this was happening as the bus moved slowly along the morning traffic. Passengers in other vehicles seemingly did not notice anything amiss.
The robbers took their time to go through wallets and purses of their victims, throwing the empty ones back to their owners, while they stuffed others in paper bags and rack sacks.
PUNCH LEFT JAW
“I had managed to save my phone by dropping it on the floor of the bus and stepping on it. However as the robbers were looking for any items dropped, one of them saw my phone and he gave me a punch on my left jaw as he ordered me to hand it over,” said the commuter.
At some point during the robbery, the conductor of another bus came to ask for loose change.
But just as he noticed the strange activities inside the bus, one of the robbers who was at the door told him to handover the cash he had and ordered him to sit on the aisle, telling him that his vehicle was to be robbed next.
At around 6:20am, the six robbers along with the conductor of the other vehicle alighted near Makongeni police station. They mocked their victims, telling them to pray for them and make sure they report the incident to the police.
The driver of the bus drove to the Makongeni police station and reported the incident.
CONDUCTOR NOWHERE
Throughout the incident, the conductor of the bus was nowhere to be seen.
On arriving at Kencom bus terminal in the city centre, one of the commuters noticed that the driver had not notified officials of the bus company about the incident.
It was only after the officials had enquired from the driver that he narrated the whole incident.