How our daughter was kidnapped, murdered in Abuja – family

The Chigbo family has spoken about the death of Abuja-based lawyer, Princess Nwamaka Mediatrix Chigbo.

Daily Trust had reported how the body of the lawyer was discovered by the roadside along the Kubwa Expressway, a few days ago.

According to a post on X (formerly Twitter), the deceased was found at a separate location with documents suggesting she might have been a staff member of the FCT High Court.

The social media update included an image of the deceased and her identification card.

It noted that her bag was discovered flung a short distance from her body—a pattern consistent with “one-chance” attacks where victims are robbed, assaulted, and thrown from moving vehicles, who was killed by kidnappers.

In a statement issued by the Publisher of Realnews Magazine, Dr. Maureen Chigbo, the family expressed shock over the incident.

“The family of Princess Nwamaka Mediatrix Chigbo, an Abuja-based lawyer, is saddened to announce her brutal death at the hands of still-to-be-identified kidnappers in the Nigerian Federal Capital Territory on Monday, 5th January 2026.”

“Before her abduction, Barrister Nwamaka was on the phone with her sister Anthonia, who briefly interrupted the call to attend to a client. When she reverted, the barrister’s phone was still live, and Anthonia could hear her sister’s distress cry before the phone suddenly went dead and unreachable.

“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.

“Barrister Nwamaka’s family later tried to contact the Police Public Relations Officer (FCT Police Command) and left a text message on her phone. They were referred to two police complaint numbers.

“The family equally sent a distress text and WhatsApp message to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), and also contacted the FCT Police Commissioner, who immediately linked them up to the Commander of the Scorpion Squad, in charge of kidnapping in Abuja.

“The Commander later called to inform the family that the police were tracking the kidnappers, who were said to be “in motion and would likely drop the lawyer off once they might have collected the ransom.”

The statement said the kidnappers never initiated any calls, and when the family members reached them through her phone for clarification on how the ransom would be paid, they only heard the lawyer screaming in pain.

“I am dying. …save me, please send the money, I am dying,” before the phone finally went dead again,” she was quoted to have said.

“The family maintained contact with the Police Commander throughout Monday night to follow up on the rescue operation.

“At 4am on Tuesday, 6th January, when Maureen called the Commander, he expressed surprise that the lawyer had not called or returned home. He then promised to escalate the rescue operation.

“The Commander later called to inform the family that “a lady had been found in a critical condition” and taken to an Abuja specialist hospital. He requested that Nwamaka’s picture be sent for identification purposes.

“Maureen immediately took a flight from Lagos to Abuja and on reaching the hospital, saw her sister’s lifeless body in the mortuary with bruises, swollen eyes and a cracked skull, all signs of a tortured death.

“The Chigbo family has met with the Police authorities, who assured them that the case was under investigation and that the culprits would be apprehended.

“Nwamaka was an active member and former treasurer of the Nigerian Bar Association, Abuja, member of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (IFWL).”

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