A former chairman, the Unity Bar Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Abuja, Afam Okeke, has called for synergy and intelligence-sharing among security agencies, to curb the menace of the ’one chance’ syndicates in Abuja.
Mr Okeke made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines during a press conference organised by International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria, Abuja Branch.
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The press conference by FIDA was to condemn and draw the attention of relevant authorities to the gruesome murder of their colleague Mediatrix Chigbo by suspected one chance criminal operators.
The victim, a lawyer and rights advocate, was said to have been abducted and killed, with her body dumped on a roadside in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
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Okeke urged security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, the State Security Service (SSS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to intensify intelligence-driven patrols, arrests, and to prosecute offenders.
“Synergy and cooperation among security agencies will deal a heavy blow on ‘one chance’ operators and other forms of criminality in Nigeria,” he said.
He also called for improved institutional capacity of the Nigerian police, and positioning it to realise its inherent mandate as the frontline agency in internal security.
He added that there’s a need for effective and proactive policing in the FCT as these people are wasting precious lives, and that this has got to stop.
“I call on the Nigerian police to deploy all necessary resources to ensure that the perpetrators of this dastardly act are brought to justice, to forestall any future occurrence.
“All necessary machinery should be set in motion to improve the security architecture in the FCT, particularly as it relates to the ‘one chance’ menace.
“Residents of FCT deserve to go about their legitimate businesses without fear, and to sleep with both eyes closed.
“While I commend the FCTA for the good job it is doing in the area of infrastructure, I implore them not to forget to secure the city. More street lights and CCTV must be installed all over the city.”
He further called for the transportation system of the FCT to be upgraded to meet modern, safe, and efficient standards.
He equally called for firm and decisive action to be taken by the authorities to secure the lives and property of Nigerian citizens.
In a statement on Thursday, Ms Chigbo’s family said she was killed on Monday after her abduction in the nation’s capital.
The statement, signed by her sister, Maureen Chigbo, a former president of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), said that before her abduction, Nwamaka was on the phone with her sister, Anthonia, who briefly interrupted the call to attend to a client.
It said that when Anthonia reverted, the deceased’s phone was still alive, though she could hear her sister’s distress cry before the phone suddenly went dead.
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“Anthonia alerted her elder sister, Maureen Chigbo, and other family members, who called the lawyer’s number repeatedly to reach her or her abductors to no avail.
“When a call finally went through, a male voice rained curses in English and Hausa language, saying, ‘Thunder fire you there, send three million Naira or else we will kill her.” The captors gave no further details and abruptly terminated subsequent calls,” the statement added.
(NAN)
