Four Children Orphaned as AMAC Task Force Harassment Leave Parents Dead
Abuja has been plunged into mourning following the tragic death of Mr. Emeka Ihekwereme and his wife, Mrs. Chikodi Ihekwereme, after a fatal crash allegedly triggered by harassment from suspected members of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) taskforce.
The devastating incident, which occurred on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, at the Mabushi (Bannex) Bridge, has left their four children without parents and sparked widespread outrage across the Federal Capital Territory.
Eyewitnesses recounted that the couple was attacked by touts who allegedly forced their way into the family’s car in an attempt to seize control of the steering wheel.
The struggle caused the vehicle to veer off course and crash. The victims were rushed to the National Hospital, Abuja, but both parents and two of their children were later pronounced dead.
The shocking deaths triggered chaos at the scene as an enraged mob descended on the suspected touts accused of causing the accident. In an act of reprisal, three of the men were lynched and set ablaze by residents, further highlighting the growing public anger over the menace of touting in the city.
For the Ihekwereme family, the tragedy has left behind a gaping void. The couple had set out that morning to purchase a freezer for Mrs. Ihekwereme’s trading business but never returned home. They are survived by four sons: Divine, who is studying abroad; Bright, 17, awaiting university admission; and two younger boys, Daniel and Golden.
Bright recalled waiting in vain for his parents to return before receiving a heartbreaking call from an aunt confirming their deaths.
At the Trademore Estate Market, where Mrs. Ihekwereme traded, colleagues and fellow traders declared a two-day mourning period in her honor. Many described her as hardworking, dedicated, and deeply committed to her family.
“She didn’t deserve to die like this. This was not a natural death but the result of violence and lawlessness,” one grieving trader said.
The tragedy has also reignited wider debates about the role of touts, commonly referred to as “agberos,” in Abuja.
Residents say these groups, often operating under the cover of local council taskforces, engage in extortion, harassment, and intimidation of motorists and traders with little or no regulation.
Calls are growing louder for the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, to urgently intervene and dismantle such taskforces before more lives are lost.
Family members of the deceased have also raised concerns about delays at the National Hospital, alleging that doctors hesitated to treat the victims while waiting for police clearance. Advocacy groups say this reflects a systemic failure in emergency care that worsens tragedies and undermines public confidence in health institutions.
As of the time of reporting, neither the FCT Police Command nor the Federal Capital Territory Administration had released an official statement on the incident or on measures to curb the activities of touts across Abuja.
For now, the Ihekwereme children face an uncertain future, while residents of the capital continue to express grief and outrage. The incident has become a painful reminder of the dangers posed by unregulated touts on the city’s roads and the urgent need for decisive government action to protect lives.
