The lifeless body of Chigbo Princess Mediatrix Esq, a former Treasurer of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Abuja Branch, was discovered along the Kubwa Expressway, near Dawaki opposite Gwarimpa Estate, by a commuter heading to work. Preliminary reports suggest that the deceased may have fallen victim to suspected mobile armed robbers, commonly referred to as “one-chance” operators, notorious for targeting unsuspecting commuters within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Eyewitness accounts indicate the circumstances surrounding her death point to a violent encounter. A handbag believed to belong to the deceased was found some distance away from her body, reinforcing suspicions that she may have been robbed and possibly pushed from a moving vehicle. The Nigeria Police Force, Dawaki Division, has taken custody of the body, with investigations into the cause and circumstances of her death expected to commence immediately. The police have appealed to members of the public with information about the deceased or her family to come forward.
In a separate incident, Nurse Chinemerem Pascalina Chuwumezie of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi, Abuja, was murdered by suspected “one-chance” criminals after returning from a late shift. SaharaReporters reported that Chinemerem, a frontline health worker, was attacked while commuting home, highlighting the rising wave of insecurity affecting essential workers in the nation’s capital.
Reacting to the killings, the Elegant Nurses Forum condemned the rising attacks on workers across Nigeria. In a statement signed by Nurse Thomas Abiodun Olamide, the forum described the deaths as “painful and unacceptable,” accusing the government of failing to protect citizens, particularly health professionals.
The forum stressed that these incidents are not isolated but part of a broader pattern of insecurity affecting workers nationwide. Health professionals, often compelled to work late-night and emergency shifts, are left to navigate unsafe roads without adequate protection.
The Elegant Nurses Forum demanded an immediate and thorough investigation into Chinemerem’s murder, urging the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators. It also called for government-funded staff shuttle services for late-night and early-morning shifts, strengthened security around health institutions and major worker routes, and formal recognition of health workers as high-risk essential workers with specific safety policies.
The forum further criticized labour unions and trade union leaders for what it described as a “disturbing silence” in response to growing attacks on workers, calling for immediate, public action to confront government failures on insecurity.
“The life of every Nigerian matters. The life of every Nurse matters. Nurses cannot continue to save lives by day and be abandoned to death by night. Enough is enough,” the statement concluded.