“If you ever feel stupid… ”— Man recalls how he lost his phones to area boys in Lagos

A man recently shared a personal story of how he lost his phone to area boys in Lagos, sparking reactions from social media users who revealed they had faced similar experiences.

The man recounted how, in 2019, he had just purchased a popular Tecno phone. While on a public bus to a vigil in Yaba, a phone snatcher seized the device as he was momentarily distracted by a prank call from friends.

Man shares how his phone was snatched by area boys

He described the incident as heart-stopping, explaining how he jumped from the bus through the window to try and recover the phone.

Despite asking people in the area for help, no one responded, forcing him to walk home from a far distance later.

“So a week after, I bought a new phone, then I was going back around 11, because passing through, but I had to walk a little bit to my house. So all of a sudden, a guy came up to me, and the guy asked me, am I a LASU student? I was like, no, no, I’m not a LASU student. He then asked if someone had sent me to collect information on him”

The incident left him feeling naive but served as a lesson about navigating unfamiliar areas safely.

The story has resonated with many on social media, with users sharing their own encounters with area boys in Lagos and other cities.

Social media reactions

@Lakesea8 commented that the story reminded them of a similar incident involving their brother in Abuja, which ended in tears and laughter.

@8E8FGCEM revealed he had been blocked by five young boys along the railway line in Agege, and only the intervention of God saved him from serious harm.

@Fashionverified shared that in 2020, they were also accosted under the Agege under bridge and had to give the boys 200 naira to escape a potentially dangerous situation.

@bobebuka1 jokingly questioned why someone from Egbeda would speak English to area boys, highlighting the surreal nature of such encounters.