“One of them said I shouldn’t be k!lled, one still shot me” – Okada rider recounts ordeal with robbers in Ondo
A commercial motorcyclist, Taiwo Adesooye, has recounted a harrowing ordeal in which he narrowly escaped death during a brutal attack by motorcycle thieves in Ondo State.
In an interview with a state-owned newspaper over the weekend, Adesooye revealed he was shot in the left hand and severely beaten by the armed assailants, who eventually fled with his motorcycle, phone, and money.
The incident occurred on May 16, 2025, behind Ogo Oluwa Hospital in Ore, as Adesooye was on his way home after completing his work for the day.
This latest attack follows a previous tragedy in the same area, where another commercial rider, Nazifi Ibrahim, was reportedly murdered by armed robbers who also made away with his motorcycle.
Narrating his experience, Adesooye said, “That evening around 8 pm, I had just dropped off a passenger and her child in the Ogooluwa area, hoping to end my day’s work. As I was leaving, I saw a man approaching a junction. I assumed he might need a ride, but he didn’t.”
“Suddenly, I felt uneasy, and then four men emerged from the bush. At first, I thought they were security personnel when they told me to remain calm and claimed they weren’t after me. But they soon pulled out weapons — a gun and a cutlass — from a bag and began to beat me mercilessly. They pushed me off my bike and stole my phone and money.”
He continued, “As they prepared to leave, despite my agony from the beating, I heard one of them say I shouldn’t be k!lled. But before I could react, one of them shot me in the left hand, and then they fled the scene.”
Adesooye believes the attackers assumed he was dead and left him behind. He was later rushed to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.
Calling on authorities to step up security in the area, Adesooye urged law enforcement to take decisive action to prevent further attacks on motorcyclists and advised residents to remain vigilant.
