Chigbo, Realnews publisher, mourns elder sister murdered by kidnappers in Abuja

The Chigbo family has announced the killing of Princess Nwamaka Mediatrix Chigbo, an Abuja-based lawyer, who was murdered by suspected kidnappers in the Federal Capital Territory.

Nwamaka, who was abducted on Monday, January 5, 2026, was the elder sister of Dr Maureen Chigbo, editor and publisher of Nigeria’s pioneer online platform, Realnews Magazine.

In a statement released by the family, the lawyer was said to have been on the phone with her sister, Anthonia, shortly before her abduction. Anthonia reportedly placed the call on hold briefly to attend to a client.

“When Anthonia returned to the call, Nwamaka’s phone was still connected, and her distress cries could be heard in the background before the line suddenly went dead and became unreachable,” the statement said.

Family members immediately raised the alarm and made frantic efforts to reach Nwamaka or her abductors. According to the statement, when contact was eventually made, a male voice allegedly hurled curses in English and Hausa, demanding a ransom of N3 million.

“Thunder fire you there. Send three million naira or else we will kill her,” the voice reportedly said before terminating the call. Subsequent attempts to reach the kidnappers were unsuccessful.

The family said the matter was reported to the police, who assured them that efforts were ongoing to track the abductors. The kidnappers, however, never initiated contact again.

According to the statement, when family members tried to call Nwamaka’s phone to clarify how the ransom would be paid, they heard her screaming in pain, pleading for help and urging them to send the money, before the phone went dead permanently.

While rescue efforts were still ongoing, the family was informed on Tuesday, January 6, that a woman in critical condition had been found and taken to a specialist hospital in Abuja.

The statement said Maureen Chigbo immediately travelled from Lagos to Abuja and, upon arrival at the hospital, discovered that her sister had died and her body deposited in the mortuary.

“She saw her sister’s lifeless body with bruises, swollen eyes and a cracked skull—clear signs of a tortured death,” the statement said.

The family has since met with police authorities, who assured them that investigations were ongoing and that those responsible would be brought to justice.

Until her death, Nwamaka was a respected legal practitioner and former treasurer of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Abuja Branch. She was also a member of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) and the Global Association of Female Lawyers (GAFA), and had served as president of the Catholic Lawyers Association, Abuja Branch.

A devout Catholic, she authored a book on the Infant Jesus and was vice president of the Infant Jesus Association, as well as a member of the Mother of Perpetual Help Catholic Group.

The family expressed gratitude to the police for their efforts so far and appealed for thorough investigation and justice in the case. They also thanked Nwamaka’s friends, colleagues and well-wishers for their prayers and support, adding that details of her funeral arrangements would be announced later.