Princess Nwamaka Chigbo, an Abuja-based lawyer, was on Monday, 5 January, 2026, abducted and eventually murdered by yet-to-be-identified kidnappers.
The family of the late legal practitioner stated this in a statement to announce her saddening brutal death at the hands of some people suspected to be kidnappers.
It was stated in the statement, signed by Maureen Chigbo, for and on behalf of the family, that the late Barrister Nwamaka was on the phone with her sister, Anthonia, before her abduction.
Anthonia was said to have briefly interrupted the call to attend to a client, but when she reverted, she could only hear the distress voice of the deceased before the phone suddenly went dead and became 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 languages, saying: “Thunder fire you there, send ₦3 million 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 Force Public Relations Officer 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’,” it was stated in the statement.
It was further disclosed that the kidnappers never initiated any calls, and when family members reached them through her phone for clarification on how the ransom would be paid, they only heard the deceased screaming in pain, “I am dying. …save me, please send the money, I am dying,” before the phone finally went dead again.
“The family maintained contact with the Police Commander throughout Monday night to follow up on the rescue operation.
“At 4 am on Tuesday, 6 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,” it was added
Maureen Chigbo stated that she 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,” she stated.
Nwamaka Chigbo was an active member and former treasurer of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Abuja, member of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (IFWL), FIDA and Global Association of Female Lawyers (GAFA).
A former President of Catholic Lawyers Association, Abuja, the deceased was an ardent Catholic who authored a book on Infant Jesus.
Until her violent death on Monday, she was the vice president of the Infant Jesus Association, and a member of the Mother of Perpetual Help Catholic Group, among other religious groups.
The family expressed its gratitude to the Police for their efforts and cooperation so far, and urged the Force to ensure that justice is served in the case of Nwamaka Chigbo.
The family also thanked friends of the deceased and and well-wishers for their support and prayers. “Her funeral arrangements will be announced as soon as possible,” it was added.
