A tangible terror has descended upon commuters in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja and its environs as a result of the actions of guys from the underworld, also referred to as “one-chance robbers.”

To carry out their heinous deeds, the robbers—who are typically armed with deadly weapons like AK-47s—disguise themselves as commercial vehicle drivers and passengers.

Even after reading the terrifying testimonies of a few survivors, people in Kaduna, Nasarawa, Niger, and the Federal Capital Territory have been falling victim to this alarming trend on a daily basis.

Particularly when it comes to victims who don’t cooperate, the thieves who specialize in stealing things from gullible travelers also commit murder.


The “one chance robbers” frequently utilize cars with international and local license plates, or foreign license plates in the front and Nigerian license plates in the rear, to get away after committing their questionable acts.


The bandits and kidnappers wreaking havoc in the Federal Capital Territory and its bordering states have also been connected to the criminal group.

The FCT Police Command announced on October 13 that its agents had seized roughly 10 cars that were allegedly utilized for “one chance” operations.


A total of 35 live rounds of ammunition, two magazines, and three suspects were taken into custody, according to Commissioner of Police (CP) Mr. Haruna Garba, who oversees the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).


He claimed that in an effort to stop the threat of “one chance” activities in the Federal Capital Territory, the recently established “Anti-One Chance Squad” of the command seized the vehicles.

Recall that on September 26, 2023, Greatness Olorunfemi was fatally stabbed and then thrown out of a moving car on the Maitama-Kubwa Highway?


Following a similar incident, Monday Adache, another resident, was admitted to the Kubwa General Hospital on October 9.


Despite the fact that the majority of events go unreported, our correspondent discovered that the unpleasant trend occurs almost every day in the capital city. This is in spite of the security personnel in the area making an effort.

Miss Anthonia Anebi, one of the victims, described how she was picked up by the thieves on October 29 while coming from work in an interview with DAILY POST on Saturday.

She claimed that the thieves took everything she owned, including a N800,000 cell phone and all of her savings.

“On October 29, I was returning from work when I got in a taxi from Beger to Kubwa,” the woman stated. Since I have returned from work in that vehicle every day since starting my employment in 2019, I was unaware that it was a “one chance” vehicle.

After the car moved, I began to notice some strange movements made by other occupants that I had previously assumed to be other passengers.

“I asked them to please drop me off when I realized they were smoking inside the vehicle, but they refused. Rather, one of them pulled a gun and threatened to kill me within the next few minutes if I didn’t comply.


I was completely out of strength at that time. I was frightened. Because it seemed to be the city’s pattern, I assumed that I had been abducted, possibly for ritual.


“I dutifully gave them my bag when they asked for it. They conducted a search, removed my N800,000 iPhone, took my ATM card, and put it into their point-of-sale system.

“First, they took all I had in the account; my family and I are no longer there, so I refused to give them my PIN. One of them held a gun at me and told me to look back when I told them I wasn’t going to give them the PIN.

“I turned and saw a dying woman in a pool of blood.” They now told me that they intended to kill the girl since she would not give them their PIN.

I told them my PIN because I was so afraid of dying at that precise time. My phone beeped in their hands a few seconds later, letting me know my money was gone. Only N50k was left for me, even though I had N500k in the account. The remainder was moved by them.


“They grabbed everything surrounding the Citec bridge right away, and they forced me out of the car while it was moving. If God hadn’t been so dependable, no car would have passed very close; otherwise, I wouldn’t be here to share the tale.

“In less than a minute, all of my life savings were stolen away, and I had to start over. It’s been hard for me even to get to work.

The command’s approach to combating the non-state actors will stay secret, according to SP Josephine Adeh, the public relations officer for the FCT Police, when approached on Saturday.

But remember that on October 19, Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, promised to close all unlicensed motor parks that were open in the region in an effort to stop the undesirable trend.

Residents were reassured by the former governor of Rivers State that the FCTA is dedicated to making sure the city is crime-free.

“A lot of news about kidnappings here and one-chance there are coming in.

“Most of the time, we don’t even inform the general public of our actions. I can confirm that the security services have taken quite a few actions. If not, the FCT would have undergone a transformation by now.

“They will have nowhere to hide if all these incomplete buildings that have become shanties are brought down.”

A task force on the states with which we share borders and one-chance has been established. The SSS, the police, the army, the navy, and the joint security task force have all decided how they will work together.