One chance is a slang word that is mostly used by Nigerians to describe a strategy used by criminals to deceive and lure people into a vehicle using fake pretences to steal, rob people of their properties, harm and sometimes use people for ritual purpose. Sometimes most of those criminals involved in such act uses charm or hypnotize people.
About 10 years ago, my mom fell victim of this criminal entrapment (one chance). She narrated her experience of what happened and how she lost consciousness of herself to the point she didn’t know what she was doing and end up giving all the money she had with her to people she didn’t know and I was making fun of her and telling her how will she lost consciousness and gave out money to people just like that, such thing can’t happen to me. Though I thank God for her life that nothing happened to her but at the same time, I was making fun of her and laughing after the incident had occurred months later not knowing my own turn was coming.
2020 when my school went on an internal strike, I decided to travel and come home to meet my family. Normally any time I’m travelling, I usually go to the pack and enter a public transport vehicle but this time around, I didn’t know which spirit entered me, I went and stood by the road side and stop any vehicle that was passing, unknown to me that was a very bad decision I made.
Few minutes after waiting, I saw a private car with two passengers at the back (a male and female) and two at the front (the driver and a male) coming and I stopped it and asked the driver where he was heading to. As soon as he replied and asked me if I was going the same direction and I said yes, I felt something entered me, I could not really say what was it but I knew something was wrong. It is good to follow your mind sometimes. My mind told me something was wrong and I should not to enter the vehicle but because I was in a hurry, I ignore the warming.
Normally from my school to where I’m traveling to is 1,200 Naira as at that time and I asked of the price, the driver told me 2,000 Naira and without hesitation, argument or pricing, I entered the vehicle. I was in the vehicle and I knew I was myself because I was operating my phone but at the same time it was as if I was being controlled.
Why did I say so?
As we were going, the driver stopped and asked me to use my money and buy him bread and fanta to take, he’s hungry and without hesitation or asking him to give me money, I went and used my own money to buy him the fanta and bread meanwhile I’ve paid him for his transportation fee already.
The interesting part was that he was even choosing the size of bread I should buy for him, like he knew I was having money with me.
When I bought it and brought it to him, about to start our journey, he told me to come down and sit at the front seat. Meanwhile there was someone already sitting at the front seat and is not as if I was not comfortable seating at the back seat. Hmm!!! I willingly obeyed, took myself to the front seat and squeezed myself with the person at the front, to really tell you I was being controlled.
There was enough space at the back seat that can accommodate up to four person's but I went and squeezed myself at the front on one seat with someone.
After we have moved few miles, the driver told me that I should come down from the car, he is not travelling again, that he forgot to pick something from his house. Without asking for refund, without complaining or dragging issue, like a sheep I walked out of the car.
Ladies and gentlemen, as soon as I walked out of that car, my real consciousness returned. I found myself at the middle of river benue bridge.
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I tried reaching for my phone and wallet, it’s not with me. My phone and wallet are gone and there was money inside the wallet. The only thing that was left on me was the exact amount of transport I was going to use for transportation, that was what they left with me, that's because I separated the transport fee and put it at my back pocket and sat on it.
I don’t just know what happened. I was so shocked, confused and paused for some minute before I started thinking of what to do.
I travelled back home late that day and everyone was worried, asking me what happened but I lied to them that I was doing something in school and didn't live on time. For three years I didn’t tell anyone what had happened to me until when we were having a family time that I opened up and spill it out. My mom laughed herself out that day but also thank God nothing happened to me and scolded me not to ever stand by the road side to stop any vehicle whenever I want to travel again. It was really an experienced I won't like it to repeat itself again..