How kidnappers killed ex-NBA treasurer in Abuja — family

The family of Abuja-based lawyer, Nwamaka Mediatrix Chigbo, has detailed the circumstances surrounding her abduction and death, describing a failed rescue effort and signs of severe torture.

In a statement released on Thursday, the family confirmed that Chigbo, a former treasurer of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), FCT branch, was abducted on Monday, January 5, 2026, and later killed by unidentified kidnappers in Abuja.

According to the statement signed by her sister, Maureen Chigbo, the lawyer was on a phone call with another sister, Anthonia, shortly before the abduction. Anthonia reportedly paused the call briefly to attend to a client. When she returned to the line, the call was still connected, and she heard Nwamaka screaming in distress before the phone went silent.

Family members immediately began calling the phone repeatedly but received no response. When a call eventually went through, a man answered, issued threats in English and Hausa, and demanded a ransom of ₦3 million, warning that the lawyer would be killed if the money was not sent. The caller ended the call abruptly and did not provide details on how the ransom would be paid.

The family reported the incident to the police and contacted senior officers, including the FCT Commissioner of Police. They were subsequently linked to the commander of the Scorpion Squad, Abuja’s anti-kidnapping unit, who informed them that the kidnappers were being tracked and were believed to be on the move.

Despite repeated attempts by the family to get clarification from the abductors, the kidnappers did not initiate further calls. On one occasion, when the family reached the line, they only heard Chigbo crying out that she was dying and pleading for the ransom to be sent before the call disconnected permanently.

In the early hours of Tuesday, January 6, police informed the family that a woman in critical condition had been taken to a specialist hospital in Abuja and requested a photograph for identification. Upon arriving from Lagos, Maureen Chigbo identified her sister’s body at the hospital mortuary.

The family said the body showed bruises, swollen eyes and a cracked skull, which they described as evidence of torture before death.

Police authorities have assured the family that investigations are ongoing and that those responsible will be apprehended.

Chigbo was a former treasurer of the NBA, FCT branch, a member of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), the Global Association of Female Lawyers, and a past president of the Catholic Lawyers Association, Abuja. She was also active in several Catholic organisations and authored a religious book before her death.

The family expressed appreciation to the police for their efforts and thanked friends, colleagues and well-wishers for their support. Funeral arrangements, they said, will be announced later.