The sad death of Miss Freda Arnong, a citizen of Ghana who lived and worked in Abuja for many years, has raised big worries about safety in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) after an event with ‘one-chance’ robbers.
The phrase ‘one-chance’ refers to a type of robbery where criminals act like taxi drivers or other passengers to trick and steal from unsuspecting travelers.
Freda unfortunately passed away from her injuries after going through a terrible experience. Her brother, Arnong, mentioned that Freda had just finished a house fellowship near the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Institute in Maitama at about 7:00 p.m. on July 1, and had taken a taxi to Pope John Paul Street along the Transcorp Hilton road, where she lived. She didn’t know that the driver was a criminal.
While sharing what happened, Arnong said that his sister told him she was blindfolded soon after getting into the car and was violently attacked by the robbers, who demanded her phone and access to her banking app. He noted that Freda wasn’t very good with technology and had lost her ATM card weeks earlier without getting a new one.
Frustrated by not being able to get her money, the robbers got more aggressive. She even suggested that they contact her boss to send the N10 million they wanted, but they said no and threatened to cut her up and sell her body parts.
Freda was thrown out of the moving car around 11:00 p.m. close to the Moshood Abiola Stadium. Hurt and alone, she tried to get help from cars passing by but couldn’t. Finally, a local vigilante came to help her and took her to the National Hospital in Abuja.
Doctors found serious injuries, like broken ribs, cuts in her lungs, kidney damage, internal bleeding, and injuries to her eyes and heart. Sadly, she passed away from her injuries a few days later in the hospital.
At the same time, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) expressed deep sadness over Freda’s death. The group said that these criminals have been active for years, probably due to security and political leaders in the FCT have ignored the dangers these terrorists pose to people.
The organization is calling for justice for Freda and all crime victims, stressing that something like this should never happen again. HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, said: “This kind-hearted, generous person was known to us at HURIWA since we started about eighteen years ago, and she always supported our work, as she was a great advocate for human rights.
The details of her encounter emphasizes the need for government to take strong actions against terrorists pretending to be robbers.
The police, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the military need to set up smart surveillance spots all over Abuja, and they should also work on finishing the Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) security project.
Putting up CCTV cameras in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and creating good monitoring systems, along with quick response teams, is way more important than just building flyovers in Abuja, as some politicians suggest.
What crime did Freda Arnong commit? Her only ‘crime’ was living in a beautiful city that has a broken system.
How much longer will we let innocent people be harmed by the ‘one-chance’ criminal gangs? When will public transport be safe for everyone? When will our leaders focus on using technology to make transportation safer?
We need to push for a system that checks drivers and vehicles, so passengers can confirm the identity and registration of commercial vehicles and their drivers in real time before boarding.
Freda’s death should not be for nothing. We need to go after her murderers and make sure they face justice. Lots of families are silently grieving for their loved ones who went through the same heartbreaking situation, ignored by a system that failed to protect them. Now is the moment for us to take a stand. We have to demand change.
