NBA Urges Wike to Treat ‘One Chance’ Crime as Security Emergency After Abuja Killing

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to urgently address the resurgence of “one chance” crimes in Abuja, describing the situation as a security emergency.

The call follows the killing of Chinemerem Pascalina Chuwumeziem, a nurse and staff member of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi, and Princess Chigbo Mediatrix, a lawyer and former treasurer of the NBA Abuja Branch. Both victims were murdered on the same day by suspected “one chance” robbers, with their bodies later dumped at different locations within the FCT.

In a statement issued Thursday, NBA President Afam Osigwe said the victims were professionals whose only intention was to return home safely from their daily engagements, noting that their deaths highlight the growing insecurity in the nation’s capital.

Osigwe said the re-emergence of criminal gangs posing as commercial transport operators has turned daily commuting in Abuja into a deadly gamble, warning that public safety in the seat of government is being dangerously eroded.

Describing Chigbo’s killing as a deeply personal loss to the legal profession, he said her death underscores how exposed Nigerians remain when criminals operate with impunity.

The NBA urged Wike, the Nigeria Police Force, and other security agencies to take immediate, visible, and coordinated action, including intensified intelligence gathering, surveillance, policing of transport corridors, and targeted operations against known syndicates.

The association also demanded thorough, transparent, and time-bound investigations into the killings, insisting that those responsible must be identified, arrested, and prosecuted.

Osigwe said the protection of life remains the first duty of the state, stressing that the deaths must not fade into statistics but serve as a turning point for restoring safety in Abuja.