A lawyer who was recently called to the bar, Onyesom Peace Udoka, has been kidnapped along with her sister while returning from her call to bar ceremony.
Udoka was reportedly abducted near Lokoja, Kogi State, on Friday, just days after her official ceremony, which took place on September 23 in Abuja.
A post shared on X by user @Rhave_official alleged that the kidnappers are demanding N20 million as ransom.
In a statement on Sunday, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) described the incident as “distressing.”
NBA president, Afam Osigwe, said: “This tragic development is unacceptable and utterly condemnable.
“It is heartbreaking that at a time when our nation should be celebrating the future of the legal profession, young lawyers and their families are subjected to such harrowing ordeals. No family should have to endure this trauma, and no citizen should live under the constant fear of insecurity on our roads.”
The association urged the federal government and security agencies, especially the Nigerian police, to “act with urgency, and ensure the immediate and safe release of our colleague and all others in captivity.”
“The safety and security of Nigerians cannot continue to be treated with levity. It is the primary duty of the government to protect the lives of its citizens, and this duty must be discharged with the seriousness it deserves,” Osigwe added.
He further called for “intensified and sustained action to secure our highways and restore public confidence in the ability of government to guarantee the safety of all who travel across the country.”
“The NBA stands in solidarity with the families of the abducted victims in this difficult time, and we pray that God grants the victims a safe and speedy return to their loved ones.”