The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Abuja Branch, have raised alarm over a resurgence of “one-chance” criminal attacks in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), following the killings of lawyer Chigbo Mediatrix and nurse Chinemerem Chuwumeziem.
Mediatrix, a former treasurer of NBA Abuja, and Chuwumeziem, a healthcare worker, were reportedly attacked by criminals posing as commercial transport operators. Their bodies were later discovered in separate locations in the city, sparking outrage across professional and civil society circles.
NBA President Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, described the incidents as a chilling reminder of the deteriorating security in Abuja. “These were not faceless victims. They were professionals and contributors to society whose only intention was to return safely from their daily engagements,” he said. The association warned that criminal gangs are now operating with alarming confidence, turning daily commuting into a deadly gamble.
FIDA’s Chairperson, Chioma Onyenucheya-Uko, condemned the murder of Mediatrix, highlighting it as a stark indicator of worsening insecurity in the nation’s capital. She urged the FCT Administration and security agencies to declare a security emergency, establish a multi-agency task force, and intensify surveillance and patrols along major transport routes.
“One-chance criminals pose as commercial transport operators to target unsuspecting commuters. Immediate, visible, and coordinated action is required to dismantle these networks. Justice must not only be promised; it must be delivered,” Onyenucheya-Uko said.
The associations also called for the installation of functional CCTV systems, registration of commercial operators, and speedy prosecution of perpetrators. They stressed that the killing of a legal practitioner sends a chilling message to residents, particularly women and vulnerable commuters, underscoring that citizen safety is a constitutional obligation.
These killings come just days after Chuwumeziem, a nurse at the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, Abuja, was found murdered in a similar fashion, further fueling fears over the safety of commuters in the capital.
