The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has expressed concern over the continued operations of ‘one-chance’ armed robbers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), following the recent killing of a nurse and another woman in separate incidents.
‘One-chance’ robbery refers to a form of crime in which criminals pose as commercial vehicle operators or passengers to lure unsuspecting victims into vehicles, where they are robbed, assaulted or killed, often after being taken to isolated locations.
The group said the deaths highlighted what it described as the absence of preventive security strategies and competent leadership in the nation’s capital, warning that more lives could be lost if urgent action was not taken.
In a statement by its national coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA recalled that two women were found dead in different locations within the FCT in incidents suspected to be linked to the activities of notorious ‘one-chance’ criminal gangs.
One of the victims, Chinemerem Pascalina Chuwumeziem, was a nurse with the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi. Her killing had drawn condemnation from the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, FCT Council.
The second victim, identified as Princess Ochigbo, was found lying lifeless by the roadside, with indications suggesting she might also have fallen victim to ‘one-chance’ hoodlums.
Reacting to the incidents, HURIWA lamented that residents of the crime-prone capital city were being left vulnerable, accusing political leaders of failing to confront armed criminality in the FCT.
The group further alleged that the FCT administration had shown a “clear absence” of preventive security measures to curb the recurring killings by ‘one-chance’ gangs and other armed non-state actors.
HURIWA called on the Federal Government to appoint what it described as a more focused, committed and non-partisan technocrat to address security and governance challenges in the FCT, insisting that administrators must prioritise the safety and well-being of residents.
It also urged the President to consider directing that citizens be granted legal permits to bear arms for self-defence in view of what it described as escalating violence in the capital.
