The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has raised concerns over a disturbing resurgence of “one chance” criminal activities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), following the brutal killings of a healthcare worker, Ms Chinemerem Pascalina Chuwumeziem, and a lawyer, Princess Chigbo Mediatrix.
Mediatrix, a former Treasurer of the NBA Abuja Branch, and Chuwumeziem were reportedly attacked by criminals posing as commercial transport operators, with their bodies later discovered in separate locations across Abuja.
Confirming Mediatrix’s death, the FCT Police Command, through its spokesperson SP Josephine Adeh, said “discreet investigations” are ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the incidents.
In a statement on Thursday, NBA President Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, said the killings have plunged the capital into grief and fear, warning that insecurity is tightening its grip on 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 said.
The association described the murders as a stark indictment of the growing security breakdown in Abuja, highlighting that criminal gangs have made daily commuting a deadly gamble. Osigwe described the death of Princess Mediatrix as a personal and professional loss, noting her dedication and integrity in 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 urged 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. The association demanded immediate, coordinated actions including 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 and called on authorities to ensure the tragedies mark a turning point in restoring safety to Abuja.
