Open season on taximen as 3 jacked in 1 day
For Belize’s taxi drivers the date of Thursday, June twenty-first is one they’d like to forget. In the space of six hours on Thursday, two drivers in Belize City and one in Belmopan were the victim of violent robberies and kidnappings. The most frightening incident involved Paul Fakayode, a thirty-three year old Nigerian taximan. He told News 5 that around 3:00 p.m. Thursday three dark complexioned young men hired his taxi from the stand at Mahogany and Jasmine Streets to take them to Faber’s Road. He said he suspected no ill-feelings as the youths looked clean and mannerly. It wasn’t until he was directed to take several out-of-the-way streets that he grew suspicious. Fakayode says when he approached Faber’s Road Extension they grabbed him behind the neck, took over the wheel and tied him up.
Paul Fakayode, Robbery Victim
“They tied my hands, my two legs, and somebody took over the car. They said, “you are a dead man.” I said, “please don’t kill me. What have I done?” I didn’t have any business deal or whatever with anybody.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“Did they ask you for any money before they said that?”
Paul Fakayode
“No, not yet, they didn’t ask for money. When one of them took over the vehicle and was driving the vehicle, somebody said “you’re a dead man, we should do it right here.” All of a sudden they took something, blindfolded me, and tied my two hands and legs. Then they went to a place, I didn’t know where.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“Where were you, in the trunk of the car or in the front?”
Paul Fakayode
“I was in the backseat of the car. So when we went to that place, they took me out of the vehicle, opened the trunk and put me right in the trunk. Then they said that they wanted a more convenient place to do whatever they wanted to do. I used my teeth and I removed the string, even the one on my legs. I remove the blindfold and I just said “God” and I prayed, that is why I give glory to God Almighty. You see at that particular time, I was having a kind of…I don’t know, I was just out of this place.
Then I just touched something and somehow the thing (trunk) opened, I held it. They were doing top speed, so I couldn’t jump down. So when the car was moving, we met a police vehicle, so they slowed down…so later when the car slowed, I just opened the trunk, jumped down and banged the door. And I lived far, so I had to run. So I entered the bush and came out again. All the vehicles I was stopping didn’t want to stop. Now this Northern Transport bus, I didn’t know the way to Belmopan or Belize, I was confused. The driver stopped and asked what was the problem, and I explained everything to him and he said I could come in. The nearest place is the Hattieville Police Station. He took me there and I made a report.
I would like to commend the effort of the Belize police. They did a very good job. I couldn’t believe it because when I came, they took me. The C.I.B. Department, they are very wonderful. I want to commend them, they should keep it up. It’s a very touching thing.”
Fakayode said he was robbed of his Nokia cell phone, wrist watch, Nike tennis shoes and close to one hundred dollars in cash. His Toyota Camry was also taken away, but later recovered near Madam Liz Crescent in Port Loyola. Police have since detained Germaine Belgrave and Edmund Velasquez and are looking for a third suspect.
A few hours before Fakayode’s near death experience, a fellow Nigerian taxi driver suffered a similar fate in near identical circumstances. Around 1:15 p.m. forty-three year old Eric Arkliss of East Canal picked up three men near Matron Roberts Health Centre, who also asked to be taken to Faber’s Road. Upon reaching the destination, a back seat passenger put a knife to the driver’s neck and cut him. The three then jumped out of the car and fled, while Arkliss made it to the K.H.M.H. where he was treated and released. It is strongly suspected that the same three men committed both crimes.
Finally, in a third incident, thirty-five year old Polito Cal was hired by two men to go from the Belmopan bus station to Roaring Creek. When they reached a spot near the fairgrounds, Cal felt a knife on his throat and was ordered to drive to the Banana Bank Road. Upon reaching that deserted spot his captors blindfolded him, tied him up and beat him. He was then left in some bushes while the pair made off with his car. Police are looking for the robbers.
