The Nigerian Bar Association has expressed concern over what it described as the alarming resurgence of “one chance” criminal activities in the Federal Capital Territory, following the killing of a nurse, Ms Chinemerem Pascalina Chuwumeziem, and a lawyer, Princess Chigbo Mediatrix.
Princess Mediatrix was a former Treasurer of the NBA Abuja Branch, while Chuwumeziem was a healthcare worker. Both women were reportedly attacked by criminals posing as commercial transport operators, with their bodies later discovered in different parts of Abuja.
Confirming Mediatrix’s death, the FCT Police Command said discreet investigations were ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. This was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by the command’s spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh.
In a statement released on Thursday by its President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, the NBA said the incidents had thrown the nation’s capital into grief and fear, warning that insecurity was once again tightening its grip on Abuja.
According to the association, the victims were not faceless individuals but professionals and contributing members of society whose only aim was to return home safely from their daily activities. It noted that their deaths highlighted a frightening reality of growing insecurity in the FCT.
The NBA described the killings as a clear sign of a worsening security breakdown, stressing that criminal gangs had turned routine commuting into a deadly risk. Osigwe said the murder of Princess Mediatrix was particularly painful for the legal profession, noting that she served the NBA Abuja Branch with dedication and integrity, making her death 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 read.
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, enhanced surveillance, increased policing of transport corridors and targeted operations against known “one chance” syndicates.
The NBA stressed that justice must go beyond promises and be delivered through visible action. While extending condolences to the families of the victims, the healthcare community and the NBA Abuja Branch, the association urged authorities to ensure the deaths do not become mere statistics but serve as a turning point in restoring safety to Abuja.
ADEOLA KUNLE
