TWO women have been found dead in separate locations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in incidents suspected to be linked to the activities of notorious “one chance” criminal gangs operating within Nigeria’s capital.

One of the victims, Chinemerem Pascalina Chuwumeziem, was a nurse with the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi, whose killing subsequently drew condemnation from the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), FCT Council. 

The second victim, identified as Princess Ochigbo, was said to be found lying lifeless by the roadside, with indications suggesting she might also have fallen victim to “one chance” hoodlums.

Nurse murdered after boarding vehicle back home

In a statement by the chairman of NANNM, FCT Council Jama Medan, the association said Chuwumeziem closed from afternoon duty on January 3, and boarded a vehicle on her way home but never arrived alive.

The statement noted that her body was later discovered to have been dumped, in what the association described as a “most inhumane and heartbreaking manner.”

The NANNM described the killing as not only an attack on the nursing profession but “an assault on healthcare workers and humanity at large,” calling on security agencies in the FCT to immediately investigate the circumstances surrounding her death.

Second victim found by roadside

According to an X post, Princess Ochigbo was found dead by the roadside at a different location in Abuja on the same day, with documents recovered suggesting she might have been a staff member of the FCT High Court.

The handler, who provided the update with image of the deceased woman and her ID, noted that her bag was discovered, flung a short distance away from her body, a pattern consistent with previous one chance attacks, where victims are robbed, assaulted, and most times thrown out of moving vehicles.

Efforts to reach the FCT Police Command for updates on the two incidents proved abortive, as SMS and Whatsapp messages sent to its spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, were not responded to as of press time.

One chance killings persist despite past interventions

The incidents have renewed concerns about the persistence of one chance operations in Abuja, despite repeated assurances by authorities that the crime would be contained.

The ICIR has reported extensively on the menace, documenting cases where residents were robbed, stabbed, thrown out of moving vehicles, or left critically injured by criminals posing as commercial drivers.

In one documented case, a resident sustained over 30 stab wounds after boarding a vehicle at Area 8, Garki, while others have lost large sums of money and other valuables.

Although the FCT Police Command established an Anti-One Chance Squad in 2018, attacks have continued, raising questions about enforcement, surveillance, and accountability.

Transport system failures fuel insecurity

The ICIR reported that one-chance robberies remain a persistent menace in Abuja, with criminals posing as commercial drivers to lure, rob, and sometimes kill unsuspecting passengers.

They drive around with dangerous weapons, including guns, axe, cutlasses and knives, which they use to compel their victims to submission.

Security experts and transport analysts said the menace is worsened by the failure of organised public transportation in the FCT, which forces residents to rely on unregistered taxis and private vehicles.

In a 2022 investigation, The ICIR reported that an insufficient number of commercial vehicles, coupled with the near-collapse of the Abuja Urban Mass Transport Company Limited (AUMTCO), left commuters vulnerable to criminals.

Out of over 500 buses once commissioned under AUMTCO, only about 150 were functional, leaving thousands of residents stranded daily and exposed to risky transport options, especially during early mornings and late nights.

The report further showed how criminal gangs have exploited this vacuum, patrolling major routes in private vehicles and posing as transporters to lure unsuspecting passengers.

Nurses demand protection, organised transport

Reacting to Chuwumeziem’s killing, NANNM chairman said the incident highlighted the growing insecurity faced by healthcare workers while commuting.

“The continuous harassment and attacks on nurses have further exposed the alarming level of insecurity faced daily by healthcare workers, particularly while commuting to and from duty. Our lives are no longer safe. Nurses leave their homes daily to save lives, yet many are uncertain of returning alive to their families,” the association said.

The union called on the FCT Minister, Nyesom  Wike, to urgently strengthen security around hospitals and major junctions, and to provide safe and organised transportation for nurses, particularly those on early-morning and late-night shifts.

The NANNM also demanded a thorough and transparent investigation by the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS), and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), insisting that anything short of decisive action would further endanger lives and erode public confidence in the security system.

Mustapha USMAN

Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M