The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has warned that the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, must not be allowed to become a fertile ground for so-called “one chance” murders, following the killing of two professionals in Abuja.
In a statement on Thursday, NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, condemned the deaths of Ms. Chinemerem Pascalina Chuwumeziem, a nurse, and Princess Chigbo Mediatrix, a lawyer and former Treasurer of the NBA Abuja Branch, who were allegedly murdered by criminal gangs operating under the guise of commercial transport operators.
Osigwe said the victims were killed in separate incidents, with their bodies later found in different parts of the city, describing the development as a disturbing sign of worsening insecurity in the nation’s capital.
He noted that the resurgence of “one chance” criminal operations has turned daily commuting in Abuja into a dangerous exercise, stressing that the killings were not isolated incidents but evidence of a growing security breakdown.
The NBA president described the murder of Princess Mediatrix as a painful loss to the legal profession, noting that she served the Abuja Branch of the association with dedication. He added that the incident underscored the vulnerability of lawyers and other citizens in an environment where criminals operate with impunity.
Osigwe called on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, the Nigeria Police Force, and other security agencies to treat the situation as a security emergency.
He also demanded thorough, transparent, and time-bound investigations into the killings, insisting that all those involved, including perpetrators and collaborators, must be arrested and prosecuted.
“What appears to be the disturbing return of “one chance” criminal operations in the Federal Capital Territory has once again plunged Abuja into grief. In separate but equally tragic incidents, Ms. Chinemerem Pascalina Chuwumeziem, a nurse, and Princess Chigbo Mediatrix, our dear colleague, a lawyer and former Treasurer of the Nigerian Bar Association Abuja Branch, lost their lives after falling victim to this deadly criminal enterprise. Their bodies were later discovered in different locations across the city. These were not faceless victims. They were professionals, contributors to society, and ordinary citizens whose only intention was to return safely from their daily engagements. Their deaths underscore a frightening reality that insecurity is once again tightening its grip on the nation’s capital.
“The NBA, therefore, calls on the Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, the Nigeria Police Force, and all other relevant security agencies to treat this situation as a security emergency. Immediate, visible, and coordinated action is required to dismantle these criminal networks. Intelligence gathering, surveillance, policing of transport corridors, and targeted operations against known “one chance” syndicates must be intensified without delay,” part of the statement read.
