Kidnappers abducted and murdered Princess Nwamaka Mediatrix Chigbo, a respected Abuja-based lawyer, on January 5 after demanding N3 million ransom from her desperate family.
The tragedy unfolded when Chigbo, a former treasurer of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Abuja Branch and member of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), spoke on the phone with her sister Anthonia.
Anthonia briefly stepped away to attend to a client. Upon returning, she heard Chigbo’s distress cries before the line went dead.
Family members frantically called the number.
When a male voice finally answered, he cursed them in English and Hausa, demanding “Thunder fire you there, send three million Naira or else we will kill her.”
The kidnappers abruptly ended further contact and never initiated negotiations.
The family alerted police, contacted the FCT Commissioner, and reached the Scorpion Squad commander, who tracked the suspects and assured them the kidnappers would release Chigbo after collecting ransom.
However, the abductors remained silent.Early on January 6, police informed the family that a critically injured woman had arrived at a specialist hospital.
They requested Chigbo’s photo for identification. Maureen Chigbo, her sister and publisher of Realnews Magazine, immediately flew from Lagos to Abuja.
At the mortuary, she identified her sister’s body, which showed bruises, swollen eyes, and a cracked skull—clear signs of severe torture.
Authorities discovered Chigbo’s body dumped along the Kubwa Expressway, with her bag flung nearby, a signature pattern of “one-chance” gangs that pose as commercial drivers to rob, assault, and often kill victims.
The family expressed deep sorrow in a statement signed by Maureen Chigbo.
They thanked friends, colleagues, and well-wishers for support while police assured them of an ongoing investigation to apprehend the perpetrators.
Peter Obi, former Anambra governor and 2023 presidential candidate, visited Maureen Chigbo in Abuja on January 10 to offer condolences.
He condemned the killing as evidence of Nigeria’s alarming insecurity and urged authorities to swiftly bring the killers to justice.
“This serves as yet another wake-up call to prioritize the safety of Nigerians above politics and propaganda,” Obi stated.
The NBA Abuja Branch and FIDA have demanded urgent action against the resurgence of “one-chance” crimes, calling for enhanced security measures in the capital.
Chigbo had returned to Abuja after Christmas holidays for a court case and attended evening Mass before her fatal abduction.
Her death has intensified public fear and sparked renewed calls for decisive government intervention to restore safety in the Federal Capital Territory.
