ABUJA: Despite Wike’s ‘Operation Sweep,’ One-Chance Robbers Kill Lawyer

Amid intensified surveillance across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) by security agencies, the body of an Abuja-based lawyer, Princess Chigbo Mediatrix, has been found along the Kubwa Expressway.

The incident has heightened concerns over the persistence of “one-chance” attacks in the nation’s capital.

Princess Mediatrix, believed to be a former Treasurer of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Abuja Branch, reportedly boarded a commercial vehicle on her way to her residence in Kubwa but never arrived.

She was later discovered dead by the roadside, with indications that she may have fallen victim to suspected “one-chance” operators.

Human rights lawyer, Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, disclosed details of the incident in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating that the deceased had returned safely to Abuja after spending the holidays in Umuoji, Anambra State, where she attended a thanksgiving service at her church.

According to him, she was allegedly killed around the Dawaki area and her body dumped along the road.

The post read, “Princess Chigbo was the Treasurer of @NigBarAssoc in Abuja. She traveled for the holidays to her home in Umuoji, Anambra State in SE #Nigeria, where last Sunday, she attended Church for Thanksgiving.

“The following day, Princess returned safely from the SE to Abuja, where she boarded a #onechance vehicle to her residence in Kubwa but never made it. They killed her around Dawaki & dumped her body on the road.

“The Minister of the FCT, meanwhile, is running to be Governor-General of Rivers State.”

Reports indicated that the deceased was found with documents suggesting she was affiliated with the FCT High Court.

However, THE WHISTLER could not confirm her employment status.

Also, it was noted that her handbag was discovered a short distance from her body, a pattern consistent with previous “one-chance” attacks in which victims are robbed, assaulted, and ejected from moving vehicles.

The incident comes barely days after the body of a nurse with the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi, identified as Chinemerem Chuwumeziem, was found by the roadside.

The nurse reportedly boarded a vehicle after completing her afternoon shift on January 3, 2026, but never made it home before her body was later discovered.

The FCT Police Command has confirmed to journalists that preliminary investigations into both deaths point to the activities of “one-chance” criminal gangs operating within Abuja.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, said investigations are ongoing to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the killings.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who instituted the “Operation Sweep” in the FCT in response to growing insecurity, had ordered reinforcement of security across the city, including increased monitoring of entry points, borders, and identified flashpoints.

The joint task force comprising the Nigeria Police Force, the military, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), and other agencies, had been deployed across the nation’s capital.

THE WHISTLER reported that the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) had in August 2025 impounded over 700 vehicles for offences such as illegal tinted glass, fake number plates, and other violations, as part of efforts to curb the activities of “one-chance” operators.