The Nigerian Bar Association has raised the alarm over what it described as the disturbing resurgence of “one chance” criminal operations in the Federal Capital Territory, following the killings of a nurse, Ms Chinemerem Pascalina Chuwumeziem, and a lawyer, Princess Chigbo Mediatrix.
Mediatrix was a former Treasurer of the NBA Abuja Branch, while Chuwumeziem was a healthcare worker.
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Both women were reportedly attacked by criminals posing as commercial transport operators, and their bodies were later found in different parts of the city.
Confirming Mediatrix’s death, the FCT Police Command, in a statement by its spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, on Wednesday, said “discreet investigations” were ongoing on the case to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident.
In a statement issued by its President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, on Thursday, the NBA said the incidents had plunged Abuja into grief and fear, warning that insecurity was once again 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.
“Their deaths underscore a frightening reality that insecurity is once again tightening its grip on the nation’s capital,” the association said.
The NBA described the killings as a stark indictment of a growing security breakdown in Abuja, noting that criminal gangs had turned daily commuting into a deadly gamble.
Osigwe described the death of Princess Mediatrix as deeply personal for the legal profession, adding that she served the NBA Abuja Branch with dedication and integrity, and that her murder was both a professional and personal loss.
“The Nigerian Bar Association condemns in the strongest terms these senseless and horrifying killings. The pattern is no longer deniable.
“Criminal gangs, masquerading as commercial transport operators, now operate with alarming confidence on our roads,” the statement added.
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 security emergency.
It demanded immediate and coordinated action, including intensified intelligence gathering, surveillance, policing of transport corridors and targeted operations against known “one chance” syndicates.
“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. Justice must not only be promised. It must be delivered,” the statement added.
Extending condolences to the families of the victims, the healthcare community and the NBA Abuja Branch, the association said the deaths must not be allowed to fade into statistics, urging authorities to ensure the tragedies mark a turning point in restoring safety to Abuja.