The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has raised concern over what it described as a disturbing resurgence of “one chance” criminal operations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), following the killings of a nurse and a lawyer in Abuja.
The victims were identified as Ms Chinemerem Pascalina Chuwumeziem, a healthcare worker, and Princess Chigbo Mediatrix, a legal practitioner and former Treasurer of the NBA Abuja Branch.
Both women were reportedly attacked by criminals posing as commercial transport operators, a tactic commonly associated with “one chance” syndicates. Their bodies were later discovered in different locations across the city.
Confirming Mediatrix’s death, the FCT Police Command said investigations were ongoing. In a statement on Wednesday, police spokesperson SP Josephine Adeh said “discreet investigations” had commenced to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
In a statement issued on Thursday, NBA President Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, said the killings had plunged Abuja into grief and renewed fear, warning that insecurity was once again tightening its grip on the nation’s capital.
“These were not faceless victims. They were professionals and ordinary citizens whose only intention was to return safely from their daily engagements,” Osigwe said, describing the incidents as a stark reminder of growing insecurity in the city.
The association said criminal gangs had turned daily commuting into a deadly gamble, noting that those posing as commercial drivers now operate with “alarming confidence” on Abuja’s roads.
Osigwe described the death of Princess Mediatrix as a profound loss to the legal profession, saying she served the NBA Abuja Branch with dedication and integrity, and that her killing was both a professional and personal tragedy.
The NBA called on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, the Nigeria Police Force, and other security agencies to treat the situation as a security emergency, demanding intensified intelligence gathering, surveillance, and targeted operations against known syndicates.
While extending condolences to the victims’ families, the healthcare community, and the NBA Abuja Branch, the association urged authorities to ensure the deaths do not fade into statistics but serve as a turning point in restoring safety to Abuja.
