NBA SOUNDS ALARM OVER SURGE IN ONE CHANCE KILLINGS IN ABUJA FOLLOWING MURDER OF LAWYER AND NURSE

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has raised serious concerns over the resurgence of “one chance” criminal operations in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, following the murders of Princess Chigbo Mediatrix, a lawyer and former Treasurer of the NBA Abuja Branch, and Ms. Chinemerem Pascalina Chuwumeziem, a healthcare worker.
Both women were reportedly attacked by criminals posing as commercial transport operators, with their bodies later discovered in separate locations across the city.
Confirming Mediatrix’s death, the FCT Police Command, through its spokesperson SP Josephine Adeh, said on Wednesday that “discreet investigations” were ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the killings.
In a statement on Thursday, NBA President Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, expressed deep concern, saying the incidents have plunged Abuja into grief and fear, warning that insecurity is tightening its grip on the nation’s capital.
“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,” the NBA said, describing the killings as a stark indictment of a growing security breakdown in Abuja, where daily commuting has become a deadly gamble.
Osigwe emphasized that the death of Princess Mediatrix represents both a professional and personal loss for the legal community, noting her dedication and service to the NBA Abuja Branch.
“The Nigerian Bar Association condemns in the strongest terms these senseless and horrifying killings. Criminal gangs, masquerading as commercial transport operators, now operate with alarming confidence on our roads,” the statement read.
The NBA called on FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, the Nigeria Police Force, and other security agencies to treat the situation as a security emergency, demanding immediate and coordinated action. Measures suggested include intensified intelligence gathering, surveillance, policing of transport corridors, and targeted operations against known “one chance” syndicates.
Extending condolences to the families of the victims, the healthcare community, and the NBA Abuja Branch, the association stressed that the deaths must not fade into statistics, urging authorities to ensure the tragedies become a turning point in restoring safety in Abuja.