Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
The Nigerian Bar Association has raised alarm over what it described as the disturbing resurgence of “one chance” criminal operations in the Federal Capital Territory, warning that Abuja is once again slipping into a climate of fear driven by violent street crime and unchecked insecurity.
In a strongly worded statement dated January 8, 2026, and signed by its President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, the NBA condemned the recent killings of Ms. Chinemerem Pascalina Chuwumeziem, a nurse, and Princess Chigbo Mediatrix, a lawyer and former Treasurer of the NBA Abuja Branch. Both women were reportedly murdered after falling victim to criminal gangs operating under the guise of commercial transport providers.
The association described the deaths as senseless, horrifying and deeply troubling, noting that the victims were not faceless statistics but professionals and ordinary citizens whose only intention was to return safely from their daily engagements. Their bodies were later discovered in different locations across Abuja, a development the NBA said underscores a frightening reality that insecurity is once again tightening its grip on the nation’s capital.
According to the NBA, the killings have plunged residents of Abuja into fear and grief, with many now viewing daily commuting as a dangerous gamble. The association said one of the victims dedicated her life to saving others as a healthcare professional, while the other was a committed member of the legal profession who served her branch with integrity and dedication. Their brutal deaths, it added, reflect a broader security breakdown that should concern all Nigerians.
The NBA warned that the pattern of attacks linked to “one chance” syndicates is no longer deniable, stressing that criminal gangs masquerading as commercial transport operators have turned routine travel into a potentially deadly encounter. It said the situation is intolerable in any society that claims to be governed by the rule of law.
Describing the killing of Princess Chigbo Mediatrix as deeply personal to the legal community, the association said her death represents not only a professional loss but a painful reminder that lawyers, like other citizens, remain dangerously exposed in an environment where criminals operate with impunity and law-abiding people move in fear.
The association further noted that the loss of these lives goes beyond individual grief, warning that it signals a dangerous erosion of public safety. It said when citizens cannot commute safely, when professionals are hunted in plain sight, and when criminals act unchecked in the nation’s capital, the foundations of social order are gravely threatened.
In response, the NBA called on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, the Nigeria Police Force and all relevant security agencies to treat the situation as a security emergency. It demanded immediate, visible and coordinated action to dismantle criminal networks responsible for the attacks, stressing the need for intensified intelligence gathering, surveillance, policing of transport corridors and targeted operations against known “one chance” syndicates.
The association also demanded thorough, transparent and time-bound investigations into the killings, insisting that all those responsible, whether as direct perpetrators, collaborators or enablers, must be identified, arrested and prosecuted. It warned that justice must not only be promised but delivered, noting that anything short of this would deepen public fear and embolden criminal elements.
Emphasising that the protection of life is the first duty of the state, the NBA said citizens should not be forced to choose between earning a living and staying alive. It cautioned that the Federal Capital Territory must not become a hunting ground where criminals prey on the vulnerable while the law appears distant or reactive.
The NBA extended its condolences to the families of Ms. Chinemerem Pascalina Chuwumeziem and Princess Chigbo Mediatrix, the healthcare community, the NBA Abuja Branch, the wider legal profession and Nigerians who now move through Abuja with growing anxiety. It stressed that the deaths must not fade into statistics or fleeting headlines but should mark a turning point in the fight against urban violence in the capital.
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