After Family Of 3 Tragic Death, Abuja Council Moves Against Touts

The leadership of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) has denounced the tragic events that occurred under the Mabushi Bridge on Wednesday, leading to the death of a family of three.

The executive chairman of AMAC, Christopher Zaka Maikalangu, is to inaugurate a strong task force to arrest anybody impersonating the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and extorting money from motorists.

The incident occurred when a family was chased by a group of hoodlums, infamously known as “Agberos,” who attempted to extort money from them.

The victims, a man, his wife, and their young son, lost their lives when the driver lost control of their vehicle, crashing into a bridge pillar before plunging into a drainage ditch.

Reacting to the incident, Kingsley Madaki, the senior special assistant on Media and Publicity to the AMAC Chairman, condemned the attackers’ actions.

“AMAC is not involved in the incident that happened yesterday. The hoodlums are not our staff, and they are not agents working for the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).”

Madaki announced that the council was taking immediate action to combat such criminal activities, revealing plans for a task force.

“The executive chairman has decided to inaugurate a strong task force to arrest anybody impersonating the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and extorting money from motorists. These people are not AMAC staff.

“The operation will be done in Area 1 Roundabout, Area 2, Berger underbridge, Jabi, and Banex. We are going to fish them out. We will take them to a mobile court and prosecute them immediately; they will find themselves in Kuje prison,” he said.

While extending sincere condolences, Madaki remarked, “As a human being, we condole with the family, but as a council, we distance ourselves from it.”

Additionally, he raised concerns about other unauthorised groups impersonating officials, including those from the FCTA Department of Outdoor Advertisement and Signage (DOAS) and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

A senior staff member from the FCT Secretariat, who preferred to remain anonymous, labeled the incident as “pathetic,” indicating that the secretariat would soon implement measures to prevent future occurrences.

“What happened on Wednesday was uncalled for, because no one can explain why some people will come together to put the lives of motorists in danger all in the name of extortion.

“The FCT Administration will not allow this to go unaddressed. I believe that the mandate secretary of the FCTA Transport Secretariat will take a drastic decision soon to avert such an occurrence in the future,” he said.

The tragic event has sparked public outrage, as reports indicate the family, having just purchased a refrigerator, was aggressively pursued by the touts.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force has confirmed the death of Emeka Ehekweme, his wife and two miscreants, popularly known as “Agboros” in the accident that occurred between Berger and Mabushi, in the Federal Capital Territory.

FCT police spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, in a statement, said,

“Preliminary findings indicate that a grey Toyota Highlander, registration number ABJ 206 EC, driven by one Emeka Ehekweme with his wife, was accosted by three unidentified suspects who forcefully entered the vehicle near Berger Junction, Utako. In the ensuing struggle for control of the steering, the vehicle lost control, struck another parked Mazda vehicle and  somersaulted into a bridge pillar.

“The Highlander’s driver, his wife, and two of the assailants were confirmed dead on arrival at the National Hospital, while a third suspect is currently receiving treatment. The Mazda driver, one Suleman Mohammed, sustained no life-threatening injuries.”

The police further said investigation into the circumstances of the incident is underway, even as the command commiserates with the families of the deceased and assures the public of a thorough investigation to ascertain the facts of the matter.

It would be recalled that the fatal accident occurred on September 3, 2025 along Nnamdi Azikiwe Expressway by Mabushi underbridge.