The scare Factor

Some events happen and you wonder why you didn't listen to the voice of warning. The happening of the 27th of December 2013 taught me that.
The headies took place at the oriental hotel and everything went smoothly despite hitches like us not winning the two categories we were nominated in. We were grateful for success.
I decided to go home at 1:30am which was very risky... Home was yaba. I was warned to stay but as usual I dint wanna give room for annoyance or anger, besides it all looked full to me being cramped in a room with 4 other persons.
I left and hitched a ride to the mainland with a friend. I wanted to be taken to a place where I could grab a cabbie who'd take me home. We got to contain and it looked deserted...tho I saw some cabbies to the right. Out here, cab men fall asleep inside their taxied while waiting for customers so I approached one of them while my friend drove off into the night. Big mistake and lesson learnt is : when I drop someone off at a late hour, I'll wait till they're safely in the taxi before leaving. This happens in horror movies too.
I saw a guy from the corner of my eye step out of a shadow... His eyes fastened on me like I was his prey...dark scary, wild looking eyes. As he approached me he asked where I was going and came closer. I asked him to please let me be and I was looking for a taxi. As he came closer, I noticed he had no shoes on and looked really scruffy...this snapped the fear into me.
  I  took off...my dress holding me back. I used to run in secondary school and I hoped that would help me get away, air filling my lungs as I lept forward... All the contents of my bag jostling as I ran and screamed all at the same time, hoping someone would come to my rescue.
In all this I took a quick glance over my shoulder and he was after me in hot pursuit, teeth barred. He caught up to me in a heartbeat and I felt his hand close around my neck and a voice from somewhere near him growl at me, "gimme". He wrestled me for my black handbag with his hand still round my neck... I heard the handle snap and he lept back and started running into the darkness. I continued to scream... All i could hear was the echo of my voice in the still dark night. Wanting to chase after him which would be futile and waiting to remain in the beam if the street light which seemed safer... I screamed loud louder as tears poured down my face. An old man approached me with a bottle of beer in his hand and asked me what happened, I grabbed him by the shirt as my knees gave way... I gasped my story while holding unto him. He took me to the police station. While I sat amidst the darkness and voracious mosquitoes of the Iponri police station, the contents of my lost bag started ticking off an absent list in my mind. My iPad, my still brand new Q10 blackberry, my cute crystal flash drive, my drivers license, my expensive compact, my earphones, my charger, my bank book, my ATM and ID cards...my house keys... My eyes widened at all I'd lost and a new stream of tears flowed. The policeman just stared at me.
I'm grateful for my life , I realize what I've lost is a joke compared to what that dirty shoeless ragamuffin would have done to me...raped me...maybe killed me and used me for thie ember rituals a lot are up to these days.

The streets of Lagos are dangerous and unsafe for a man not to speak of a lady by herself. Writing this post has helped me relive the events of a day I will never forget but also learn from my mistake and vow never to stay out or move about late at night without security. I am still shaken but this has helped me look to. Brighter day. O where is safe after a certain time on the clock.