NEWS
Abuja One-Chance Scare: How Criminals Turn Taxis Into Death Traps
Fear has continued to grip residents of the Federal Capital Territory as criminals allegedly masquerading as commercial transport operators turn taxis into traps for unsuspecting commuters.
The growing “one-chance” menace involves criminal gangs using vehicles that appear to be legitimate taxis to pick up passengers before allegedly diverting them to isolated locations, where they are robbed, assaulted or abducted.
In some cases, victims have reportedly been killed after being forced to surrender their valuables and money.
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The situation has heightened concerns over passenger safety, particularly during rush hours and at night when commuters often struggle to find affordable transportation.
Fake taxis, real terror
The criminals reportedly operate by blending into busy passenger-loading points, making it difficult for commuters to distinguish them from genuine commercial drivers.
Once the vehicle becomes sufficiently occupied, the occupants allegedly reveal their identities, threaten passengers and demand their valuables.
Some survivors have recounted being forced to transfer money from their bank accounts, surrender ATM cards and disclose their PINs.
One survivor, Umar, said he boarded a vehicle in 2025 believing it was a normal commercial taxi.
He became suspicious after noticing the behaviour of the driver and other occupants and requested to alight.
According to him, the occupants became aggressive, attacked him and eventually pulled out a gun.
Umar said the gang forced him to transfer N500,000 from his account before taking his ATM card and withdrawing additional money through a POS device.
He said the criminals later pushed him out of the moving vehicle.
“People should be extremely careful, even in places that look like regular loading points. Just because many people gather there does not mean it is safe,” he warned.
Women among victims
Women have also been among those targeted by the criminal gangs.
In February 2026, a woman identified as Precious reportedly boarded a green taxi in Gwarimpa after negotiating a fare.
She became suspicious when the occupants began winding up the vehicle’s windows. When she resisted, one of the men reportedly slapped her.
The driver allegedly told her, “You think say we be normal human beings?”
The gang subsequently demanded her phone and bag and attempted to gain access to her financial accounts.
Another woman, Iniobong Festus, said she narrowly escaped after boarding a vehicle at Dawaki Underbridge while travelling to church in Asokoro.
She said the occupants blindfolded her and demanded her belongings. After discovering that she had neither money nor a mobile phone, they reportedly abandoned her around Mpape.
Some victims never returned
While some commuters have survived their ordeals, others have reportedly lost their lives.
One of the cases that generated outrage was the killing of Chinemerem Chukwumeziem, a nurse with the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi.
Chukwumeziem was reportedly lured into a “one-chance” vehicle on January 3, 2026, after closing from work.
Her body was recovered by the roadside the following day.
Another victim, Princess Mediatrix Chigbo, was also reportedly abducted while in transit and later found dead around the Dawaki axis of the Kubwa Expressway.
The killings triggered condemnation from professional organisations, including the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives and the Nigerian Bar Association.
The former NBA president, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, said the incidents had plunged Abuja into grief and fear.
“These were not faceless victims. They were professionals, contributors to society, and ordinary citizens whose only intention was to return safely from their daily engagements,” the NBA said.
The association condemned the growing pattern of criminals masquerading as commercial transport operators.
Freda’s death raises fresh concerns
The case of Freda Arnong also remains one of the incidents associated with Abuja’s one-chance menace.
Arnong was reportedly killed on July 2, 2025, after leaving a house fellowship near the CBN Institute in Maitama and boarding a commuter vehicle while returning home.
Her death further heightened concerns about the safety of passengers using roadside taxis in the nation’s capital.
The menace has also been reported in satellite towns including Zuba and along the Gwagwalada-Lokoja highway.
Transport gap worsens situation
Beyond criminal activity, concerns have been raised about Abuja’s transportation system, with residents arguing that inadequate and unreliable public transportation leaves commuters vulnerable to unregulated operators.
For years, residents of the FCT have complained about the absence of a sufficiently reliable, affordable and comprehensive public transportation network connecting the city centre with satellite towns.
The shortage becomes more pronounced during peak periods, when commuters compete for the limited number of available vehicles.
This has created an environment where desperate passengers may board vehicles without adequately verifying the identity of the driver or the legitimacy of the taxi.
Wike’s transportation overhaul
The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has been pursuing reforms aimed at restructuring transportation within the capital.
The initiative includes enforcing the Abuja Master Plan and developing regulated transport terminals in the city and satellite towns.
Structured bus hubs are being developed in locations including Bwari and Gwagwalada, with the broader objective of improving commuter safety and reducing the activities of criminal operators.
Police vow to dismantle gangs
Following public concerns over the growing menace, FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmed Mohammed Sanusi, declared a zero-tolerance stance against crime in the territory.
Sanusi vowed to dismantle one-chance criminal syndicates operating across Abuja.
“FCT will no longer serve as a refuge for criminal elements including one-chance robbers. Decisive measures will be taken to restore safety and public confidence,” he said.
He also warned that indiscipline and unprofessional conduct within the police command would not be tolerated.
For many Abuja residents, however, the concern remains immediate: getting into a taxi should mean getting home safely—not entering a potential death trap.
Following observed mis-steps, the Federal Government of Nigeria has withdrawn the eight-count criminal charge brought against the alleged fake Director General (DG) of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeniyi Adeyemi.
Biztellers reports that the matter, in accordance with the counsel of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, (SAN), the matter will be filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), instead of the Federal High Court (FHC).
Consequently, upon an unopposed application for termination by the prosecution counsel and Director of the Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), on Monday, Justice Mohammed Umar of a Federal High Court, Abuja on Monday, struck out the matter.
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In a motion for the termination of the charges, Oyedepo informed the court that the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice has carried out a review of the case file of Adeyemi and the charge filed by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and found some loopholes.
The DPPF added that the documents allegedly forged by Adeyemi during his operations of the fake agency are those that can be prosecuted by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
He also informed the court that a new charge has been filed at the High Court of the FCT and that Adeyemi would be expeditiously arraigned afresh.
He therefore urged the judge to strike out the charge as required by law.
Following no objections from Ibrahim Angulu (SAN), who stood in for Adeyemi, Justice Umar subsequently terminated the charge.
Adeniyi, 38, was being tried alongside two others whose whereabouts are unknown, on charges bordering on conspiracy and forgery.
The two others said to be at large were identified as Femi (surname unknown) and Anu (surname unknown).
The charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/25/2025, was entered against the defendant by the DPPF.
To secure a bright energy for her teeming population, Nigeria must sustain the momentum of reform, accelerate investment, and deepen partnerships.
This view was expressed by Managing Director, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company of Nigeria Limited (SNEPCo) Ronald Adams in Lagos at the weekend.
Delivering a keynote address at the Africa Energy Conference (AEC) of the Lagos Business School (LBS), Adams called for regulatory certainty through efficient execution of reforms, sustained investment appeal to enable projects to move more swiftly from opportunity to production and partnership by operators, regulators, NNPC Limited and communities to unlock the full value of Nigeria’s resources.
Adams cited Nigeria’s huge oil and gas resources as an advantage but pointed out: “Resources alone do not guarantee prosperity. Prosperity comes when resources are matched with investment, technology, sound policy and disciplined execution. Success will be determined not by the size of our resources, but by our ability to convert them into investment and economic growth.”
Adams pledged the support of Shell towards a bright energy future of Nigerians. He said: “For more than six decades, Shell has been part of Nigeria’s energy journey. Together with our partners, we have helped develop major energy infrastructure, supported Nigerian businesses, invested in talent, and contributed to economic development. Bonga remains a powerful example of what technology, partnership and Nigerian capability can achieve in deepwater operations. Today, that story continues through Bonga North.”
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Issuing a clarion call for action by all stakeholders, he added: “The world is not standing still. Capital is moving, technology is advancing and competition is intensifying. The countries that attract investment tomorrow are those that improve competitiveness today. Nigeria has begun that journey. Our task is to sustain the momentum and translate reform into projects, projects into growth, and growth into shared prosperity.”
The conference, the 4th in the series had at its theme; “Securing Nigeria’s Energy Future: Policy Reform, Capital Mobilisation, and Pathways to a Sustainable Power and Energy Market” and was attended by top government officials, industry captains, energy professionals, and students.
Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat represented Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the guest of honour. SNEPCo was a principal sponsor of the Africa Energy Conference (AEC) and mounted a well-received exhibition on its deepwater operations and social investments across Nigeria.
Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, has flagged off the disbursement of ₦689.79 million in bursary payments to 19,318 continuing students across 97 institutions for the 2025/2026 academic session.
The disbursement follows a 100 per cent increase in academic bursary rates, marking the first adjustment since 2007.
The latest payment forms part of the state government’s broader investment in education and student welfare, with cumulative bursary disbursements and related student awards under the administration reaching ₦3.29 billion.
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More than 174,000 beneficiary payments have been recorded across successive payment cycles.
Increased Allowances for Veterinary and Law Students
Under the revised scholarship support framework, allowances for Veterinary Medicine students have increased by 150 per cent for students in the 300 and 400 levels and by 200 per cent for those in the 500 and 600 levels.
Support for Nigerian Law School students and academic excellence awards has also continued.
The state government has also approved a scholarship programme for 1,700 students, with 50 beneficiaries drawn from each of the state’s 34 local government areas.
The programme is designed to support tuition fees, registration and other educational expenses.
₦6bn Scholarship Trust Fund
The government has made provision for ₦6 billion in seed funding for a scholarship trust fund intended to strengthen educational financing.
The fund is expected to support specialised scholarship opportunities in fields including engineering, medicine, Artificial Intelligence and mechatronics.
The state’s foreign scholarship initiatives have also supported 118 students studying Medicine, Artificial Intelligence and Bioengineering in Egypt, Ethiopia and China, with approved educational and living expenses covered by the government.
More Scholarship Opportunities
Other educational support initiatives include 34 maritime scholarship beneficiaries and seven students receiving 50 per cent financial support at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria.
The state has also nominated 34 candidates for MBBS studies in Russia, identified 70 prospective master’s degree candidates and selected 10 candidates for Qur’anic Sciences scholarships in Ghana.
These initiatives form part of the state’s broader efforts to expand access to education across different fields and levels of study.
Scholarship Board Strengthens Accountability
The Katsina State Scholarship Board has also strengthened its application, verification and payment systems.
As part of its accountability measures, the board interviewed more than 14,925 fresh applicants and returned approximately ₦86 million in unclaimed funds to the state government.
The state also acknowledged the contributions of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in expanding access to educational financing and digital learning resources.
Radda Inaugurates Tinubu/Dikko Education Beneficiary Network
As part of the activities, Radda inaugurated the Tinubu/Dikko Education Beneficiary Network (TDEBNET), a voluntary organisation comprising parents and beneficiaries of educational programmes.
Members of the organisation expressed support for the re-election bids of Radda and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.
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