FCT Police Arrest Three Over Murder of Abuja Lawyer

By Oluwakemi Kindness

 

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested three suspected members of a notorious “one-chance” armed robbery syndicate in connection with the killing of a legal practitioner, Barrister Chigbo Mediatrix, in Abuja.

The arrests mark a significant breakthrough in the Command’s fight against violent crime and followed a directive by the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, CP Miller Dantawaye, PSC, to ensure all those linked to the crime are brought to justice.

Operatives of the Command’s Scorpion Squad, led by ACP Victor Ogbeide Godfrey, carried out intelligence-led operations between January 5 and 10, 2026.

Using reconstructive digital intelligence to track the victim’s mobile phone, the operations were conducted across Dei-Dei, Dakwa, and Dan-Tata communities in the Kubwa Area of the FCT.

The suspects arrested are:

Saifullahi Yusuf (22), from Kaduna North LGA, Kaduna State, resident in Dan-Tata, Dei-Dei, Abuja

Ishau Yusuf (24), from Samaru, Zaria, Kaduna State, resident in Dan-Tata, Dei-Dei, Abuja

Minka’ilu Jibril, also known as Dan-Hajia, from Kaduna North LGA, Kaduna State

In a statement on Sunday, the Police Command disclosed that Saifullahi Yusuf and Ishau Yusuf are biological brothers.

 

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects are members of a long-standing “one-chance” armed robbery syndicate operating intermittently within the FCT, particularly during festive periods.

 

Police findings indicate that on January 5, 2026, at about 5:50 p.m., the victim boarded a black Volkswagen Golf 3 along the Kubwa Expressway, unaware it was operated by the suspects.

She was reportedly threatened and assaulted during the attack and later pushed out of the moving vehicle, leading to her death.

The suspects allegedly dispossessed the victim of her Android mobile phone, which was sold in Dei-Dei for ₦120,000. Police said Minka’ilu Jibril received ₦30,000, Saifullahi Yusuf received ₦15,000, while Ishau Yusuf and another suspect, identified as Musa and currently at large, shared the balance.

Recovered exhibits include five scissors, two sharp dagger knives, two knives, a long chain allegedly used to restrain victims, and a plier.

 

Police said investigations are ongoing, with intensified efforts to arrest the fleeing suspect and dismantle other criminal networks linked to the syndicate.

CP Dantawaye commended the professionalism of the officers involved and reassured FCT residents of the Command’s commitment to ridding the territory of criminal elements.

 

He also urged the public to remain vigilant, avoid boarding unregistered or suspicious vehicles, and promptly report suspicious activities to security agencies.