Tragedy struck in Nigeria’s capital city on Saturday morning as the lifeless body of a young woman, Grace Godwin, was discovered in what police suspect to be a horrifying case of ‘one-chance’ abduction and murder.
The 23-year-old, a dedicated fuel attendant at the Mobil Filling Station in Mabushi, was found unconscious by passersby around 6:00 a.m. near Iya Abubakar Street in the Jabi area of Abuja. She was swiftly rushed to the National Hospital by officers of the Jabi Police Division but was pronounced dead upon arrival.
According to law enforcement sources, Grace’s tragic end began the previous night, July 11, 2025, when she boarded a commercial vehicle around 8:53 p.m. in Mabushi. That vehicle, authorities believe, was being operated by a criminal gang known for “one-chance” robberies—a growing menace in Nigeria’s urban centers.
The criminals reportedly contacted her family at 11:56 p.m. that same night to demand a ransom. The call would be the last her loved ones heard concerning her fate—until news of her death broke.
Her remains have been deposited at the hospital morgue pending a full autopsy. Her grieving family has since been notified and formally identified the body.
Police have launched a full-scale investigation and manhunt to bring the perpetrators to justice. “We are leaving no stone unturned. All efforts are being intensified to track down and arrest those behind this heinous act,” a police source confirmed.
The Federal Capital Territory has, in recent months, seen a disturbing uptick in violent crimes, especially the notorious “one-chance” robberies, where unsuspecting passengers are lured into taxis or buses operated by gangs. Victims are often robbed, assaulted, and in worst-case scenarios—like Grace’s—murdered.
In a similarly chilling incident, Miss Freda Arnong, a Ghanaian national and staff member of the Ghana High Commission in Abuja, also lost her life after falling prey to a ‘one-chance’ gang earlier this month.
Freda boarded a taxi near the CBN Institute in Maitama on July 1, 2025, after attending a house fellowship. The criminals blindfolded and assaulted her, demanding access to her mobile phone and bank application. She was later thrown out of the moving vehicle near the Moshood Abiola National Stadium around 11:00 p.m.
A good Samaritan found her barely conscious and rushed her to the National Hospital. Sadly, she succumbed to her injuries six days later, on July 7, 2025.
These back-to-back tragedies have sparked outrage and anxiety among Abuja residents, as the streets once considered relatively safe are now becoming arenas of fear and bloodshed. Citizens are calling for urgent government intervention and more proactive policing to rein in the criminals turning the city into a deadly trap.
As investigations continue, the loved ones of Grace and Freda—and indeed the entire Abuja community—are left to mourn and demand justice.
PIONEER NEWS 