The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has declared that the return of “one chance” criminal operations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) which has led to the death of two professionals underscores a frightening reality that insecurity is once again tightening its grip on the nation’s capital.
The NBA emphasised that the protection of life is the first duty of the state, saying that citizens should not have to choose between earning a living and staying alive.
It therefore said that the FCT must not become a hunting ground where criminals prey on the vulnerable while the law appears distant or reactive.
The NBA in a statement by its president, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, condemned in the strongest terms the senseless and horrifying killings, stressing that the pattern is no longer deniable.
In the words of the NBA; “Criminal gangs, masquerading as commercial transport operators, have turned daily commuting into a deadly gamble. This situation is intolerable in any society that claims to be governed by law”.
The NBA, therefore, called on the Minister of the FCT, the Nigeria Police Force, and all other relevant security agencies to treat this situation as a security emergency.
It said that immediate, visible, and coordinated action is required to dismantle the criminal networks, emphasising that intelligence gathering, surveillance, policing of transport corridors, and targeted operations against known “one chance” syndicates must be intensified without delay.
The NBA said; “We further demand thorough, transparent, and time-bound investigations into these killings. Those responsible, whether as direct perpetrators, collaborators, or enablers, must be identified, arrested, and prosecuted. Justice must not only be promised.
“It must be delivered. Anything short of this will deepen public fear and embolden criminal elements. What appears to be the disturbing return of “one chance” criminal operations in the Federal Capital Territory has once again plunged Abuja into grief”.
It noted that in separate but equally tragic incidents, Ms. Chinemerem Pascalina Chuwumeziem, a nurse, and Princess Chigbo Mediatrix, a lawyer and former Treasurer of the Nigerian Bar Association, Abuja Branch, lost their lives after falling victim to the deadly criminal enterprise.
The NBA noted that their bodies were later discovered in different locations across the city, adding that these were not faceless victims, but professionals, contributors to society, and ordinary citizens whose only intention was to return safely from their daily engagements.
According to the NBA; “Abuja awoke to fear and sorrow as news of these killings spread. One victim spent her days saving lives. The other was a committed member of the Bar who served her branch with dedication and integrity.
“Their journeys home ended in brutal violence at the hands of criminals who now operate with alarming confidence on our roads. These deaths are not isolated tragedies. They are a stark indictment of a growing security breakdown in the seat of government.
“For us in the legal profession, the murder of Princess Chigbo Mediatrix is deeply personal. She was one of us. She served the NBA Abuja Branch with commitment, and I knew her personally. Her dedication to the profession and her sense of service were remarkable. Her death is therefore not only a professional loss but a painful personal blow, and a stark reminder that lawyers, like all Nigerians, remain dangerously exposed in an environment where criminals act with impunity and citizens move in fear.
“The loss of these lives represents more than personal grief. It signals a dangerous erosion of public safety. When citizens cannot safely commute, when professionals are hunted in plain sight, and when criminals operate unchecked in the nation’s capital, the foundations of social order are gravely threatened,” it said.
The NBA extended its deepest condolences to the families of Ms. Chinemerem Pascalina Chuwumeziem and Princess Chigbo Mediatrix, to the healthcare community, to the NBA Abuja Branch, to the wider legal profession, and to all Nigerians who now move through Abuja with growing anxiety.
It said their deaths must not fade into statistics or headlines that disappear with the news cycle, stressing that they must mark a turning point.
