Lagos-based lawyer, Ifeyinwa Christopher, tells GRACE EDEMA how she was brutally attacked and nearly blinded by a shuttle driver who also robbed her of her valuables along the Asaba–Benin Expressway in Delta State
Can you recall how you were attacked recently?
It was late December 19, 2025. So, I took a cab from Koka, heading towards my mother’s place in Ogwashi-Ukwu, Delta State. I was dropped at a junction and told to wait for another vehicle. I saw bikes and other options, but then a car stopped and offered to take me further.
He asked for N7,000. I negotiated to N2,000, but it wasn’t even about the money. I just wanted to get home. As we drove, he passed the junction I knew led directly to the village. When I asked, he said he would take another route through Issele Ukwu. Shortly after passing the town signboard, he suddenly veered into the bush and stopped the vehicle.
When he flashed the light, I became alarmed. I tried the door, but he pulled out a gun. At first, I thought he was a kidnapper. He told me he had killed younger people before and said I was old.
He ordered me to hand over my bag. Inside it were two new phones I bought for my birthday, new shoes and other items I bought from the market, cash, and other valuables. I gave him the bag. I was completely shocked.
I tried talking to him—I am also a pastor—but he told me to put my head down. He hit me with a metal object on the neck. It caused a wound. He hit me again when I raised my head. The object was heavy, like an iron rod.
Then he grabbed me and began biting my eyes—especially my left eye. I screamed and tried to kick the door to escape. I managed to open the door and rushed out of the car. As I did, the driver sped past me. He immediately began to drive the car faster. I fell to the ground.
What happened thereafter?
He reversed the vehicle and ran over me. As I tried to get away, lying face down, he drove over me again. My head was nearly crushed under the vehicle as he moved forward repeatedly. I could hear him accelerating, trying to finish me off.
In desperation, I gathered what little strength I had left and jumped onto the expressway. He veered off towards another direction. I recognised the area—near Oulu Junction—because earlier, when he pointed it out, I had objected.
I collapsed on the expressway, sat briefly on the ground, then forced myself to get up and run. When I realised he was no longer following me, I kept running until I found a place to hide off the road. I stayed there until morning.
At daybreak, people noticed me. I tried calling for help earlier, but I had no phone and my vision was badly affected. I could barely see. I attempted to reach emergency services, but no one responded.
Eventually, I made my way to a nearby house. Two masons were passing with some children. I cried out for help. At first, they were afraid, but I pleaded with them. One of them shouted for assistance, calling out for ‘Mama’ to come and help.
They saw the bruises all over my body, especially on my legs. I was in severe pain and bleeding. One of the men raised the alarm, and that was how help finally came from the village. They took me to the hospital.
At the hospital, a police officer asked me to sign a statement and took photographs of my injuries. After that, I was admitted and began receiving treatment. I was admitted from that day through Saturday and Sunday. It was only yesterday (December 24) that I was referred to another specialist.
Did you contact any of your family members to inform them about the incident?
I had only one contact number available, which I asked the hospital staff to use. That number belonged to my brother. He was the one who reached out to people on my behalf, including some government officials.
We were told to contact the security agency’s office around 7 am, as that was the appropriate channel to report that I had been attacked. When the call came in, the caller asked for my name and confirmed that I was a lawyer. I answered in the affirmative and provided my name. He said I would receive a follow-up call.
By the time we were leaving the hospital, I tried calling back, but there was no response. I eventually returned home the following day.
Why did your attacker try to remove one of your eyes?
Some people say eyes are sold for millions and must be harvested fresh. I honestly believe he intended to remove my eyes. That was the stage he was trying to reach when he started attacking my face—my eyes, nose, and mouth.
When I lifted my head and looked at him, he appeared shocked. He actually paused and stared at me. Earlier, he had told me that I would be easier to deal with because I was older. But when he saw that I was still conscious, he looked surprised—as if he expected me to pass out.
But I stayed conscious throughout the night. I could open my eyes, but I could not see clearly. I could not feel my body properly. I felt numb all over, but I kept moving. That was how I survived.
Do you know if the man has been arrested?
The police officers who first came said the area was not under their jurisdiction. Another officer came later and said the matter would have to be reported at the police division responsible for that area.
I gave my statement while I was still in the hospital. But I was told that there might be no serious investigation or effort to arrest the suspect unless the report was officially lodged at the right division.
This is part of the problem. Even when a government official hears about such a crime and claims to be coming, nothing happens. No one follows up to understand what really happened.
What then is the social responsibility of a government official?
A crime was committed. I was robbed, beaten, and nearly killed. That alone should trigger concern—especially from lawyers who understand the gravity of attempted murder and grievous bodily harm.
How has the incident shaped your view about crime in the country?
Honestly, this experience has completely changed how I feel about being Nigerian. I no longer feel safe or valued. I am seriously considering leaving the country and seeking another citizenship. I am deeply disenchanted.
I survived because I had access—to family, to the press, to people who responded. Many Nigerians do not have that. Many victims have no one to call, no connections, and no voice. That is what frightens me the most.
Many are painfully insensitive as a nation. Government officials are not interested in the welfare of the people or in ensuring that criminals are stopped from repeating their crimes. So, what is the essence of being a government official if the lives of citizens do not matter?
Have you been discharged?
I was not formally discharged because the hospital processes were disorganised. I had requested to be properly transferred or referred, which was why I went to another facility.
At the first hospital, the doctor left midway through my examination. He did not wait for the X-ray results and later disappeared. Another doctor eventually attended to me around 4:00 pm. It was very chaotic and poorly coordinated.
It was at the second hospital that I finally had an X-ray done early the next morning, around 5 or 6 am. Before then, I was given injections for pain and antibiotics.
I complained of severe back pain, especially because the vehicle ran over my back. The doctor increased my antibiotics and administered two injections—one on my shoulder and another on my hand.
How was your treatment at the hospital?
It is a specialist hospital. However, the treatment was not well coordinated. After I did the X-ray, nobody explained anything to me—not about the results, pain management, or next steps. I was simply allowed to leave.
I noticed a lot of disorganisation. Because it was an emergency case, I expected more structure. No one offered me a bed or suggested that I should be admitted. Eventually, I asked my husband to take me home.
What about your eyes?
They dressed my eye today (Wednesday, December 24). A portion of the eye tissue was affected. A specialist attended to it and did a very good job with the eye dressing. They said an ophthalmologist was required, but one was not available at the time. They suggested that we reach out privately to get one, because the hospital could not guarantee when an ophthalmologist would be available.
What exactly did the doctors say?
The ophthalmologist attended to my eyes and said that part of the eye tissue had lifted. He explained that I would need maxillofacial surgery to properly repair and patch the affected area.
However, I was told that the maxillofacial surgeons only come on Thursdays. With the New Year holidays, they said they might not be available until the first or second Thursday in January. They advised that if I could, I should seek private care. Someone wrote the referral, but I am currently unable to read it clearly.
How old are you?
I am 53 years old.
Considering everything that happened, what would you like to say about security?
Security is the core issue here. First, the entire area is poorly lit. There are no streetlights, no traffic lights, and no police presence along the expressway—even up to the airport. There are no checkpoints, no visible patrols.
But even the police later confirmed to me that several robberies have occurred there, many involving shuttle drivers. In fact, some people now avoid that route at night. I have not been to the village in a long time, so I was unaware.
We were there for a burial, and the entire area was dark and deserted. I tried calling colleagues for help, but no one picked up, likely because everyone was busy with burial preparations.
What pains me most is the lack of response. You, as a journalist, responded. My family responded. The police responded. But the government response was absent.
A government official contacted me and said he would meet me at the specialist hospital. He never showed up. He never followed up. This is not about me being a lawyer; it is about a human being—especially a woman—being attacked on a public road. There is a criminal roaming freely, robbing and assaulting people.
If not for God, I would not be alive today. Any government official should be deeply concerned that such a criminal is still at large. It could have been his wife, his daughter, or anyone else. I intend to take this matter up formally.
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