How nurse, lawyer were killed while returning home

As Nigerians ushered in the New Year with celebration and hope, two families were plunged into profound grief after separate but chilling incidents in Abuja claimed the lives of a nurse and a lawyer—both attacked while simply trying to get home after serving society.

Within 48 hours, Abuja-based nurse Chinemerem Pascalina Chuwumeziem and lawyer Princess Nwamaka Mediatrix Chigbo were killed in circumstances that have reignited fears about growing insecurity in the nation’s capital and the dangers faced by ordinary professionals.

Chinemerem, a staff member of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi, had just completed her shift on Saturday, January 3, 2026. Like countless other health workers, she boarded public transport to return home.

She never arrived. Her body was found the next morning by the roadside. Police sources said the incident bore the hallmarks of a “one-chance” robbery.

Her death sent shockwaves through the healthcare community. At a candlelight procession organised by the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), grieving colleagues struggled to understand how a woman who spent her day saving lives could lose her own on the journey home.

Two days later, tragedy struck again.

On Monday, January 5, 2026, Abuja lawyer Princess Nwamaka Mediatrix Chigbo was abducted and later killed by unidentified kidnappers.

A former Treasurer of the Nigerian Bar Association (Abuja Branch), a member of FIDA and GAFA, and a past President of the Catholic Lawyers Association in Abuja, Chigbo was widely respected for her professional and humanitarian work.

According to her family, she was on the phone with her sister shortly before her abduction. Distress sounds were reportedly heard before the call ended abruptly.

The kidnappers later demanded a ransom, but despite efforts and police assurances that her case was being tracked, the family was informed the next day that a woman in critical condition had been taken to a hospital. She was later identified as Chigbo, who had died from her injuries.

Her death has drawn widespread condemnation from the legal community, with calls for swift justice and decisive action to stem the tide of violent crime in Abuja.

Beyond these two cases, the incidents highlight a disturbing pattern. Professionals—health workers, journalists, broadcasters, and civil servants—are increasingly falling victim to violent attacks while commuting, especially after late shifts.

Previous cases include the killing of a radio broadcaster in Mpape and attacks on media workers and drivers in central Abuja.

Health workers appear particularly vulnerable. In October 2025, a nurse at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria died after being pushed from a moving tricycle by suspected criminals.

Across several states, doctors and nurses have been abducted on highways or near health facilities, sometimes spending weeks in captivity.

Professional bodies say the situation has reached a crisis point. The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and NANNM have warned that worsening insecurity is threatening morale, manpower, and the very survival of Nigeria’s already strained health system.

They are calling for urgent measures, including safer transport for night shifts, increased patrols around hospitals, improved street lighting, surveillance, and faster prosecution of offenders.

Observers say the deaths of Chinemerem and Chigbo are not isolated tragedies but a damning reflection of a system that fails to protect those who serve the public.

One dedicated her life to healing; the other to justice. Both were killed while doing something as ordinary—and once assumed safe—as going home.

As public anger and fear grow, many Nigerians are asking a painful question: if professionals who save lives and defend rights are not safe on the streets, who is?

Their deaths, many argue, must be a turning point.

Without urgent action to restore security and trust, the country risks losing not just more lives, but the very people who keep its institutions standing.