Abuja police arrest “One-Chance” gang over murder of lawyer Princess Chigbo

Nigeria’s capital has recorded a major breakthrough in its fight against violent crime after police arrested three suspected members of a notorious “one-chance” robbery syndicate linked to the murder of Abuja-based lawyer, Barrister Princess Nwamaka Mediatrix Chigbo.

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command confirmed that the suspects were arrested following intelligence-driven operations carried out between January 5 and January 10, 2026, targeting criminal networks operating along the Kubwa Expressway and surrounding communities.

Police said the arrests followed direct orders from the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, CP Miller Dantawaye, who mandated a full-scale manhunt for those responsible for Chigbo’s killing and similar crimes terrorising commuters in Abuja.

Operatives of the Command’s elite Scorpion Squad, led by Assistant Commissioner of Police Victor Ogbeide Godfrey, tracked the victim’s mobile phone using what police described as “reconstructive digital intelligence.” The trail led investigators to Dei-Dei, Dakwa, and Dan-Tata communities within the Kubwa axis.

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According to preliminary investigations, the suspects belong to a long-running “one-chance” armed robbery gang that preys on unsuspecting commuters, particularly during festive seasons when movement is heavy and vigilance is low.

Investigators said that on January 5, 2026, at about 5:50 p.m., Barrister Chigbo boarded a black Volkswagen Golf 3 vehicle along the Kubwa Expressway, unaware that the occupants were criminals.

Once inside, police said the suspects locked the tinted windows and threatened her with weapons, attempting to extort ransom. When she allegedly resisted, she was assaulted and pushed out of the moving vehicle, sustaining fatal injuries.

Her body was later discovered along the expressway, sparking outrage across Nigeria’s legal community and renewed scrutiny of “one-chance” operations in the capital.

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During the arrests, officers recovered several items believed to have been used in the gang’s operations, including:Five scissors, two dagger knives
Two additional knives, a long metal chain allegedly used to restrain victims and a plier.

Police said investigations are ongoing and efforts are underway to arrest the remaining suspect and dismantle the wider criminal network linked to the gang.

Commending the operatives involved, CP Dantawaye reassured residents that the Command remains committed to eliminating violent crime in the FCT.

He urged commuters to avoid unregistered or suspicious vehicles and to report suspicious movements through police emergency lines:08032003913 and 07057337653.

The police said further updates would be provided as investigations progress.