NBA urges FCT minister to treat Abuja one chance crimes as a security emergency after two professionals were murdered

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called on Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, to treat the resurgence of “one chance” crimes in Abuja as a security emergency following the murders of two professionals.

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Chinemerem Chuwumeziem, a nurse at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi, and Princess Chigbo, a lawyer and former treasurer of the NBA Abuja branch, were both killed on the same day by suspected “one chance” robbers, with their bodies dumped at separate locations across the city.

In a statement on Thursday, NBA President Afam Osigwe described the victims as ordinary citizens whose only intention was to return safely from their daily engagements.

He said their deaths underscore the “frightening reality” of growing insecurity in the Federal Capital Territory.

“What appears to be the disturbing return of ‘one chance’ criminal operations in the Federal Capital Territory has once again plunged Abuja into grief,” Osigwe said.

“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 president warned that criminal gangs posing as commercial transport operators are turning daily commuting into a deadly gamble.

He described Chigbo’s killing as a “deeply personal” loss to the legal profession, noting her dedication and integrity in service to the Abuja branch of the association.

“This situation is intolerable in any society that claims to be governed by law,” Osigwe said, emphasising that the killings signal a dangerous erosion of public safety in the FCT.

He called for immediate and coordinated action by the minister, the Nigeria Police Force, and other security agencies to dismantle “one chance” syndicates operating in the territory.

“Intelligence gathering, surveillance, policing of transport corridors, and targeted operations against known ‘one chance’ syndicates must be intensified without delay,” Osigwe added.

He also demanded thorough, transparent, and time-bound investigations into the deaths of Chuwumeziem and Chigbo, insisting that those responsible must be identified, arrested, and prosecuted.

“Justice must not only be promised. It must be delivered,” he said.

Osigwe extended condolences to the families of the victims, the healthcare community, the NBA Abuja branch, the wider legal profession, and all Nigerians who now move through Abuja with growing anxiety.

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“Their deaths must not fade into statistics or headlines that disappear with the news cycle. They must mark a turning point,” he said.