Criminal activities in Asaba, Delta State Capital, recently took a different dimension as some hoodlums posing as commercial transporters attacked a civil servant (names withheld) after boarding a Toyota Siena which was allegedly heading for Benin City, Edo State.

News Express gathered that the incident happened around the Summit Junction in Asaba, after office hours, when the victim was returning to his home at Agbor, Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State.

The victim, who narrated the robbery incident to our correspondent, disclosed that he lost his laptop and cell phones to the robbers after they subjected him to physical tortures.

He said: “There was a heavy downpour on that day and I did not come in my car because it was faulty. So, I decided to go to the park at Summit Junction where I could board a taxi going to Agbor. On getting there, I could not get a taxi immediately and it was still raining therefore, I went under a shade around the park awaiting any taxi that was headed for Agbor.

“As I was waiting, a brown Toyota Sienna drove towards me and, another man who appeared to be waiting for a taxi too, went on board of it. I quickly confirmed if they were heading for Agbor but they told me they were going to Benin City and could drop me at Agbor if I wished. Since there was no alternative, I joined them in the car.

“As we were going, they asked me to move to the back seat so that other passengers could come in when the need arises and I did, not knowing that they were trapping me already.”

The man further narrated that the tempo of the journey, however, changed when the bandits started making enquiries about what was in his bag. According to him, “In less than two minutes, after we started the journey, they took charge of the vehicle. They shouted at me saying, ‘what do you have in your bag? How much is on you? Tell us before we kill you!’

“At first, I thought they were joking but, before I knew it, they preyed on me and started slapping me on the face. They were four in number so; it would have been a futile effort to fight back.

“They manhandled me continuously until blood began to flow from my ears and nose, after which, they took my bag from me and collected my laptop and my Nokia XL cell phone. They also collected my wallet and quizzed me on the amount of money in my bank account but, I told them there was nothing in my account and they threw the wallet and my empty bag at me.

“After the robbery, they threw me out at the NNPC Mega filling station and drove off. I struggled to call my brother-in-law who came from Agbor to carry me home. That was my experience and it was very terrible.

“What surprised me most was that the other man who boarded the bus with me was not beaten up the way they did to me; instead, they dropped him at Maryam Babangida Junction so, believe he was one of them.”

•Photo shows Delta Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.