The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has raised serious concerns over what it described as the disturbing resurgence of “one chance” criminal operations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), following the killing of a nurse and a lawyer in separate incidents in Abuja.
The victims were identified as Ms Chinemerem Pascalina Chuwumeziem, a healthcare worker, and Princess Chigbo Mediatrix, a lawyer 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” gangs, and their bodies were later discovered in different parts of the city.
Confirming the death of Princess Mediatrix, the FCT Police Command said investigations were ongoing. In a statement issued on Wednesday by the police spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, the command said “discreet investigations” had commenced to unravel the circumstances surrounding the killing and bring those responsible to justice.
Reacting to the incidents, the NBA said the deaths had plunged Abuja into grief and fear, warning that insecurity was once again tightening its grip on the nation’s capital. In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by its President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, the association described the killings as a grim reminder of a growing security breakdown in the FCT.
“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 statement read. “Their deaths underscore a frightening reality that insecurity is once again tightening its grip on the nation’s capital.”
The NBA said criminal gangs had turned daily commuting in Abuja into a deadly gamble, noting that the renewed activities of “one chance” syndicates reflected a pattern that could no longer be ignored. Osigwe described the killing of Princess Mediatrix as deeply personal for the legal profession, stressing that she served the NBA Abuja Branch with dedication and integrity.
“The Nigerian Bar Association condemns in the strongest terms these senseless and horrifying killings. The pattern is no longer deniable,” the statement said. “Criminal gangs, masquerading as commercial transport operators, now operate with alarming confidence on our roads.”
The association 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 full-blown security emergency. It demanded immediate and coordinated action, including intensified intelligence gathering, increased surveillance, tighter policing of transport corridors and targeted operations against known “one chance” syndicates.
According to the NBA, justice must go beyond assurances. “Immediate, visible, and coordinated action is required to dismantle these criminal networks. Justice must not only be promised. It must be delivered,” the association said.
While extending condolences to the families of the victims, the healthcare community and the NBA Abuja Branch, the association urged authorities to ensure that the deaths do not fade into statistics, but instead mark a decisive turning point in restoring safety and public confidence in Abuja.
