Residents of Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, face a recurring nightmare known as ‘One Chance.’ This term describes a sophisticated criminal operation where gangs pose as legitimate commercial taxi drivers to lure unsuspecting passengers. What starts as a standard commute often turns into a horrific ordeal involving robbery, physical assault, sexual violence, and, in many tragic cases, murder for ritualistic purposes.
These perpetrators typically strike during peak travel hours when commuters are most desperate for transport. Once inside the vehicle, the victim is surrounded by gang members who brandish weapons such as guns, knives, and axes. They force passengers to disclose banking credentials or demand exorbitant ransoms from their families, often dumping the bodies of those who cannot pay or those they intend to kill anyway along major highways.
Recent months have seen a spike in these violent encounters, claiming the lives of professionals like nurse Chinemerem Chukwumeziem and lawyer Princess Mediatrix Chigbo. While survivors like Umar, Precious, and Iniobong Festus have recounted chilling stories of being targeted, many others remain missing or have been found dead, sparking widespread outrage from organizations like the Nigerian Bar Association and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives.
Analysts attribute this crisis to a long-standing failure of the government to establish a reliable, safe public transportation system. While FCT Minister Nyesom Wike is currently attempting to overhaul the transit network through a regulated terminal strategy, citizens remain fearful. In response to the escalating violence, FCT Police Commissioner Ahmed Mohammed Sanusi has promised a zero-tolerance approach to dismantle these syndicates and restore security across the capital.
