RismadarVoice Reporters
January 8, 2026
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has raised alarm over what it described as a disturbing resurgence of “one chance” criminal operations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), following the killing of a lawyer, Princess Chigbo Mediatrix, and a nurse, Ms. Chinemerem Pascalina Chuwumeziem.
Princess Mediatrix, a former Treasurer of the NBA Abuja Branch, and Chuwumeziem, a healthcare worker, were reportedly attacked by criminals posing as commercial transport operators. Their bodies were later discovered in separate locations within the city.
Confirming Mediatrix’s death, the FCT Police Command said discreet investigations were ongoing to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
In a statement issued on Thursday by its President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, the NBA said the incidents had plunged Abuja into grief and deep apprehension, warning that insecurity was once again tightening its grip on the nation’s capital.
“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 statement read.
According to the Association, the killings represent a stark indictment of a growing security breakdown in Abuja, noting that criminal gangs had turned routine commuting into a deadly gamble.
Osigwe described the death of Princess Mediatrix as deeply personal to the legal profession, stating that she served the NBA Abuja Branch with dedication and integrity, and that her murder constituted 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 boldness on our roads,” the statement added.
The NBA 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, demanding immediate and coordinated action.
It urged intensified intelligence gathering, surveillance, proactive policing of transport corridors, and targeted operations against known “one chance” syndicates.
“Immediate, visible, and coordinated action is required to dismantle these criminal networks. Justice must not only be promised; it must be delivered,” the Association stressed.
While extending condolences to the families of the victims, the healthcare community, and the NBA Abuja Branch, the Association warned that the deaths must not be allowed to fade into statistics, urging authorities to ensure the tragedies mark a turning point in restoring safety to Abuja.
