The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria, Abuja Branch, has declared a state of profound grief and fury following the brutal killing of one of its senior members. The victim, a prominent legal practitioner and rights advocate named Chigbo Princess Mediatrix, was allegedly murdered by suspected 'one-chance' criminal operators in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
A Pattern of Violence on Abuja Roads
The body of the slain lawyer was discovered on January 9, 2026, along the Kubwa Expressway, near Dawaki and opposite Gwarimpa Estate. A commuter on the way to work made the grim find. Preliminary reports indicate she fell victim to mobile armed robbers, infamously known as 'one-chance' operators, who prey on unsuspecting passengers in Abuja.
The scene suggested a violent struggle. A handbag believed to belong to Mediatrix was found some distance from her body, leading to suspicions that she was robbed and possibly pushed from a moving vehicle. This horrific incident occurred just days after another tragedy. The body of a nurse from the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi, Chinemerem Chuwumeziem, was found by the roadside after she failed to return home from her afternoon shift on January 3, 2026.
FIDA's Stern Indictment and Demands
Addressing journalists at a press conference in Abuja, the Chairperson of FIDA Abuja, Mrs. Chioma Onyenucheya-Uko, described the murder as a searing indictment of the escalating insecurity in the nation's capital. She called for immediate and decisive action to curb the violent crime wave.
Onyenucheya-Uko urgently appealed to the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, to declare a security emergency specifically targeting 'one-chance' operators. She demanded the establishment of a multi-agency task force to dismantle the criminal networks responsible.
"This is not just a personal tragedy," she stated. "It is a searing indictment of the growing insecurity in the Federal Capital Territory, a city that ought to represent safety, order, and the rule of law." She emphasized that the time for mere sympathy is over, stressing the need for decisive, coordinated, and visible action.
Concrete Steps for Safety and Justice
Beyond the emergency declaration, FIDA Abuja outlined several critical measures to restore safety:
- Installation of functional CCTV surveillance along major transport corridors.
- Strict regulation of commercial transport operators.
- Intensified, intelligence-driven patrols, arrests, and investigations by security agencies including the Nigeria Police Force, DSS, and NSCDC.
- Speedy prosecution of offenders by the justice sector.
Onyenucheya-Uko underscored that citizen safety, especially for women and vulnerable commuters, is a constitutional obligation. "When officers of the court are abducted and murdered, it sends a chilling message to every resident," she warned.
FIDA Abuja vowed to continue its advocacy and pursue legal avenues to ensure accountability, declaring: "We honour our fallen colleague not with silence but with resolve. Enough is enough." The group's forceful response highlights a growing public impatience with the persistent security failures in the heart of Nigeria.
