The Sad End Of Reuben, An Expatriate, In Rivers State

By Adesina Soyooye

Mr Gibson Reuben, an expatriate, was faced with a choice between the devil and the deep blue sea. Obviously in panic, and faced with a life and death situation, he hardly had the time to weigh between the two which was more dangerous than the other.

So, in panic, and with no time to think, he chose the deep blue sea. And paid with his life. If he had chosen the devil, perhaps, just perhaps, he could have been alive today. Atimes, a devil in human form, if given what he wants, could have a change of heart, and be lenient on his victim.

Following, is Ruben’s tragic end, an end that is bound to continue to tarnish Nigeria’s image and expose how dangerous our roads still are, and how lives in Nigeria  have been reduced to nothing, almost, no thanks to the unprecedented insecurity the country is battling.

A native of Netherlands, Reuben lived in Port Harcourt. He was not a parasite like a number of expatriates who live in some States are. He was in Rivers State where he was helping Nigeria, particularly, Rivers State, to attain food sufficiency, increase its Cassava output, export some and make the much wanted  and needed foreign exchange.

Mr Reuben was the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of Rivers State Cassava Project Ltd.

But on Monday, at about 20.30 hours, according to the Police, all that ended.

Accompanied by Mobile Police Personnel to protect him, given the terrible situation in the country, he was his own driver in his vehicle, a hilux van. He drove himself, just like they do in his own country. In his country, just like in the USA, and other countries, only very few people can afford drivers. It’s expensive.  And in Netherlands, bicycle is the in-thing. Even the Prime Minister rides his bicycle to work.

So, Reuben was driving himself this Monday. When he and his escorts got to the Aleto Eleme Bridge, they ran into Nigeria’s many bad boys who lay in wait to attack. What happened next, how his Police escorts who were in same(?) car with him escaped has not been quite explained. But according to the Police and  eye witness accounts, Reuben, in a bid to escape his attackers veered off the bridge, and plunged into the River with his vehicle.

The whole of that day, the marine police and local divers looked for him and his van. Initially, they said they were on a rescue mission. But when it extended to the next day, it became a recovery mission.

And, as expected, on Tuesday, Ruben’s body was recovered in the river. He had drowned after a heart-rending battle  with death. His van too has been recovered.

Confirming the incident, the Spokesperson, Rivers State Police Command, while expressing sadness at Reuben’s fate, said: “Fortunately, the Mobile Police Personnel accompanying him managed to escape but he and his hilux van were submerged in the water.”