By Okechukwu Nwanguma
In Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory, the streets are slick with new asphalt, courtesy of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike’s obsession with concrete projects and showy renovations.
But beyond the illusion of development, the city is bleeding — not from potholes, but from lawlessness. “One chance” robbery has become a daily horror, snatching lives, dreams, and security, particularly from women who just want to get home safely.
While Wike organises church thanksgiving ceremonies to celebrate completed infrastructure and splurges public funds on cosmetic urban facelifts, the streets of Abuja have turned into abattoirs. Children remain out of school.
The poor are displaced in the name of urban renewal. And residents live in fear, especially after sunset. That is the grim reality the FCT Minister has chosen to ignore.
Take the heartbreaking case of Freda Arnong, a young woman who became another victim in the capital’s growing list of fatalities from “one chance” gangs. On July 1, 2025, Freda boarded what she thought was a regular taxi near the Transcorp Hilton.
It turned out to be her death ride. Blindfolded, brutalised, and tortured for hours, she was thrown out near the Moshood Abiola Stadium like refuse. She was later rescued by a local vigilante and taken to the National Hospital. But despite the best efforts of doctors, Freda died of her injuries in the early hours of July 7.
Her ribs were broken. Her lungs were lacerated. Her kidneys and heart were battered. She died in agony, and her only crime was boarding a vehicle in her city, Nigeria’s capital. The criminals are still out there. And Freda is not alone.
This horror story is becoming a familiar refrain in Abuja. Many women — some lucky to survive with permanent injuries, others like Freda who don’t make it — have fallen prey to these predatory syndicates. And yet, there is no coherent security response. No policy direction. No urgency.
Minister Wike’s priorities are tragically misaligned. He bulldozes homes without a resettlement plan, criminalises poverty, and glamorises concrete while ignoring blood on the streets.
Instead of throwing Thanksgiving parties for overhyped infrastructure, the Minister should be convening emergency security summits, equipping surveillance teams, and holding security agencies accountable for their failure to stem this carnage.
Let us be clear: Abuja is a city under siege — not from insurgents or bandits from afar — but from homegrown urban terrorists who operate openly on its streets while those in power pretend that gleaming roads and painted bridges equal governance.
The security of lives and property is the primary duty of the government. Under the 1999 Constitution (Section 14(b)), the welfare and security of the people shall be the primary purpose of government. It is not optional. It is not a campaign slogan. It is a constitutional command.
Freda Arnong should be alive today. Her brutal death is not just a personal tragedy; it is a damning indictment of a system that prioritizes optics over life. How many more must die before the FCT Minister and the federal security agencies wake up?
We do not need more tar. We need safety. We do not need more ceremonies. We need justice.
The streets of Abuja must be reclaimed — not with ribbon-cutting ceremonies, but with decisive security action. The blood of Freda and others like her cries out.
Okechukwu Nwanguma is the Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC).
