Nigeria’s Capital, Abuja Boils With ‘One-Chance’ Robberies, While FCT Minister Embroiled in Spat with Ex-Principal

Nigeria’s federal capital, Abuja is reeling under the weight of “one chance” with no respite in view as FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike is enmeshed in a war of words with his erstwhile boss, Rotimi Amaechi.

With the new wave of violent “one-chance” robberies sweeping across the nation’s capital city, leaving residents terrified and grieving, expectations were rife that Wike would rally security forces to nip the malady in the bud.

But the once subtle operations by scam gangs posing as commercial drivers have now turned more aggressive and deadly, raising urgent calls for government intervention.

Sad feedbacks from those close to the Minister indicate that there may be no hope in sight for such intervention as the Minister appears to be more interested in his small fight with his former principal to whom he served as Chief of Staff between 2007 and 2011.

From Dutse to Lugbe, and from Kubwa to the heart of the Central Area, reports of unsuspecting passengers being robbed, beaten, and dumped by the roadside are increasing by the day.

Kristina Reports spoke to several victims who recounted traumatic encounters with these criminal gangs, revealing a disturbing pattern of violence and impunity.

“I was just trying to get to the Central Business District,” said Amina Yusuf, a 29-year-old civil servant who boarded a cab in Kubwa on her way to work.

“It looked normal. There were already two people inside. I thought I was lucky. But as soon as we turned off the main road, they brought out a knife, tied my hands, beat me, and took my phone and ATM card. They left me near Jabi with a bleeding face and no shoes.”

Another victim, Chinedu Okeke, who lives in Lugbe, said he was picked up at around 6:30 am near the police sign board bus stop.

“I just needed to get to the office early. I thought it was a regular taxi, but the driver suddenly locked the doors and sped off. They hit me with something hard and asked for my PINs.

When they realized I had transferred most of my salary to my savings account, they got angry and kicked me out of the moving car.”

These incidents have become more frequent in places like Dutse, Kubwa, Lugbe, Jahi, and even parts of the Central Area locations once considered relatively safe during daylight hours.

But the most heart-breaking case in recent days is the death of Miss Freda Arnong, a Ghanaian-born humanitarian and resident of Abuja, who fell victim to one of these violent gangs.y

According to her brother, Arnong Arnong, Freda boarded what she believed was a taxi around Transcorp Hilton.

“They blindfolded her, beat her mercilessly when they found out she had no ATM card and limited mobile banking access,” he said.

“She was dumped around Moshood Abiola Stadium, severely injured. We rushed her to the hospital, but it was too late. She didn’t survive the trauma.”

Freda’s death has sparked outrage both online and offline, with residents and civil society groups demanding swift and decisive action from the government and security agencies.

According to the FCT Police Command, several suspects linked to one-chance activities have recently been arrested, and a number of vehicles used by the gangs have been confiscated.

However, residents insist that arrests are not enough.

“They come back out. The system is weak,” said Angela Dike, a survivor from Dutse. “We need proper regulation. We need marked cabs. We need undercover officers. We need protection.”

Mob justice is also on the rise. In a recent case near the Airport Road, a man alleged to be part of a one-chance gang was beaten and set ablaze by an angry crowd after he was caught trying to rob a woman in broad daylight.

Kristina Reports is joining the growing list of voices calling on the FCT Administration and the Nigeria Police Force to take more strategic and long-term action.

We urge the government to introduce a comprehensive system of verification and tracking for commercial vehicles, increase patrols in high-risk areas, and invest in public awareness campaigns to educate residents on how to identify and avoid suspicious cabs. The streets of Abuja must not become hunting grounds for criminals. Until something is done, every ride could be a risk and every seat could be a trap.