N3m Ransom Demand Ends in Death of Abuja-based Lawyer
N3m Ransom Demand Ends in Death of Abuja-based Lawyer
Fresh details have surfaced on the abduction and killing of Abuja-based lawyer Nwamaka Chigbo, with her family revealing that she was murdered after kidnappers demanded a ₦3 million ransom.
The incident, they said, unfolded while she was on a phone call with her sister moments before she was taken.
In a statement issued by the family, Chigbo was said to have been speaking with her sister, Anthonia, when the abduction occurred. The line reportedly remained open briefly, allowing Anthonia to hear screams and signs of a struggle before the call abruptly dropped. “She could hear her sister crying out in distress before the phone suddenly went dead,” the family said.
According to the family, several attempts to reach Chigbo or her abductors were unsuccessful until a call was eventually answered by a man who issued threats and demanded money.
The caller allegedly warned in English and Hausa that failure to pay ₦3 million would result in her death. The family said the incident was immediately reported to the police, who assured them that efforts were ongoing to trace her whereabouts.
The family further disclosed that when they later tried calling to find out how the ransom would be delivered, they briefly heard Chigbo’s voice again. “She was screaming in pain, begging for help and saying she was dying, before the line went off for the final time,” the statement read.
Days later, the family said they were alerted that a critically injured woman had been taken to a specialist hospital in Abuja.
Chigbo’s sister travelled from Lagos, only to discover her body in the morgue. “She had visible bruises, swollen eyes and a fractured skull, suggesting severe torture,” the family said.
Chigbo, a former treasurer of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Abuja branch, belonged to several professional legal bodies. Her death has sparked condemnation within the legal community, with former NBA Abuja chairman Afam Okeke urging stronger security collaboration in the Federal Capital Territory. Police authorities have confirmed that investigations are underway, assuring that those responsible will be brought to justice.
