A young woman named Grace Godwin was tragically found dead early Saturday morning in Abuja, prompting police to investigate a possible abduction and murder linked to a notorious ‘one chance’ criminal group.

The 23-year-old worked as a fuel attendant at the Mobil Filling Station in Mabushi and was found unconscious by the roadside near Iya Abubakar Street in the Jabi area around 6:00 a.m., according to police reports.

She was quickly taken to the National Hospital by officers from the Jabi Police Division, but sadly, she was pronounced dead upon arrival. Her body has been placed in the hospital’s mortuary, waiting for an autopsy, while her grieving family has confirmed her identity.
According to initial investigations, the victim got into a commercial vehicle at about 8:53 p.m. on Friday night from Mabushi.

Authorities believe that the vehicle was driven by a ‘one chance’ gang. In Nigeria, ‘one chance’ refers to criminals who pretend to be legitimate taxi or bus drivers, targeting unsuspecting passengers.
The suspects reportedly contacted her family around 11:56 p.m. to demand a ransom.

It’s unclear exactly when she lost her life, but the case is being treated as a likely kidnapping-for-ransom incident that went wrong. A police officer, who preferred to remain anonymous, told Zagazola Makama, a counter-terrorism expert, that investigations are ongoing and efforts are being made to identify and catch those responsible for this terrible crime.
The expert said that the incident once again shows the growing menace of ‘one chance’ attacks in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Over the past year, we’ve seen a disturbing increase in such cases, with many been victims of robbery, assault, or even abduction, which often results in terrible outcomes.

Community members and civil society groups have continuously urged the authorities to ramp up surveillance, enforce tougher rules for commercial transport companies, and boost law enforcement in at-risk areas.