Abuja “one chance” gangs must be stopped
Abuja, as a city and a territory once considered by its residents as one of the safest in the country, is now a den of criminal elements whose unabated and nefarious activities have made the lives and property of citizens vulnerable. The most disturbing, however, of all the security challenges threatening the safety of FCT […]
Abuja, as a city and a territory once considered by its residents as one of the safest in the country, is now a den of criminal elements whose unabated and nefarious activities have made the lives and property of citizens vulnerable. The most disturbing, however, of all the security challenges threatening the safety of FCT residents is the return of “one-chance” gangs that now daily terrorise commuters on the roads.
To say that one-chance criminals are currently on the rampage in Abuja is an understatement. This bunch of criminals uses unpainted taxis to rob unsuspecting commuters. Claiming to be public transporters, they often load themselves into a car, leaving only a spot for their victim who, after boarding the vehicle, is instantly attacked and robbed of his or her possessions. The victim is thereafter thrown out of the vehicle or abandoned in an isolated neighbourhood, while in some cases ransom is demanded from the family. Recently, two victims of this dastardly activity—Chinemerem Chuwumeziem, a nurse, and Princess Chigbo, a lawyer—were killed by members of these gangs in separate incidents.
Nurse Chinemerem Chuwumeziem, a staff member of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi, finished her afternoon shift on January 3, 2026, boarded a vehicle on her way home, but never arrived. Her lifeless body was later found dumped by the roadside around Bolingo Hotel in the Central Area of the city. While details of the circumstances leading to her death are still being awaited, the body of the lawyer, Princess Chigbo Mediatrix, a former Treasurer of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Abuja Branch, was discovered by the roadside along the Kubwa Expressway. These incidents are not isolated to specific areas but have occurred in various locations, including Banex Junction, CBN Junction, Airport Road, Central Area, Garki, Nicon Luxury Junction, Kubwa Expressway, Mabushi and several isolated areas, as well as satellite towns such as Zuba and the Gwagwalada–Lokoja highway.
These murder cases are just a few among many incidents. Several have gone unreported in the media and continue to trouble FCT residents.
The rise in the activities of one-chance gangs has a direct bearing on the current economic crunch many residents of the city are battling with. The withdrawal of petrol subsidy by the federal government forced many Nigerians to abandon their private vehicles and rely on public transportation, making more Abuja residents vulnerable to one-chance attacks. Again, the government’s several promises to put buses on the road have remained unfulfilled. The last time the city took delivery of mass transit buses was more than 10 years ago. Since then, the population of the city has exploded, and the demand for transportation has equally increased. In desperation, residents board any available vehicle, often without minding the danger.
Daily Trust recalls that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, upon assumption of office, promised to work with security agencies and support them with all they needed to function efficiently and creditably. Unfortunately, residents are yet to see any meaningful change.
Unpainted taxis, which are commonly used for one-chance operations, still operate freely in and around Abuja. All the red-flag areas identified as one-chance operating spots are still not enjoying full surveillance from relevant security agencies. This plausibly explains why the number of such syndicates keeps surging.
While we call on the FCT Command of the Nigeria Police to increase its surveillance operations and pay greater attention to crime prevention strategies, we also encourage the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to walk his talk on the support he earlier promised to give security agencies, so that they would have no excuse for any failure or breach of security in the FCT.
Daily Trust also urges the FCT Minister, as a matter of urgency, to provide enough mass transit buses along all routes in and out of Abuja city centre. This would greatly ease the burden on residents and help guarantee security in the city. The police and road transport unions must also take urgent action to streamline the activities of illegal commercial vehicle operators. Criminal operators must be fished out and made to face the full wrath of the law.
Technology must also be deployed to monitor activities in the city and make it safe for every resident. Abuja cannot afford to allow its people to continue living in fear of small gangs of criminals in a city that is supposed to be a model for Africa.