The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has raised serious concerns over the alarming resurgence of “one-chance” criminal operations in Abuja, following the brutal killings of a nurse, Ms. Chinemerem Pascalina Chuwumeziem, and a lawyer, Princess Chigbo Mediatrix.
Mediatrix, a former Treasurer of the NBA Abuja Branch, and Chuwumeziem, a dedicated healthcare worker, were reportedly attacked by criminals posing as commercial transport operators. Their bodies were later discovered in separate locations across the city.
Confirming Mediatrix’s death, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command said “discreet investigations” were ongoing to determine the circumstances of the attack, according to spokesperson SP Josephine Adeh.
In a statement on Thursday, NBA President Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, said the killings have plunged Abuja into grief and heightened fear, warning that insecurity is tightening its grip on the nation’s capital once again.
“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,” the NBA said. “Their deaths highlight a frightening reality: criminal gangs are turning commuting into a deadly gamble.”
Describing the murder of Princess Mediatrix as a personal and professional loss for the legal community, Osigwe condemned the attacks as “senseless and horrifying” and warned that the confidence with which these criminal gangs operate is now “alarming.”
The NBA called on FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, the Nigeria Police Force, and all relevant security agencies to treat the situation as a security emergency.
The association demanded immediate, coordinated action, including intensified intelligence gathering, surveillance, policing of transport corridors, and targeted operations against “one-chance” syndicates.
“Justice must not only be promised—it must be delivered,” Osigwe said.
Extending condolences to the families of the victims, the healthcare community, and the NBA Abuja Branch, the association urged authorities to ensure these tragedies do not fade into statistics, but instead mark a turning point in restoring safety to Abuja.
