The Nigerian Bar Association has urged the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government and security agencies to move urgently to secure the release of one of its newest members, Onyesom Udoka, who was abducted along the Lokoja–Okene highway in Kogi State.
It was learnt that Udoka was taken captive alongside her sister and other passengers while returning from her Call to Bar ceremony in Abuja.
In a statement released on Sunday, NBA President, Afam Osigwe, SAN, described the kidnapping as “unacceptable and utterly condemnable.”
He said no family should be forced to endure such trauma at a moment meant for celebration.
He expressed deep concern that young legal professionals and their relatives are being subjected to violent ordeals even as the profession marks new entrants.
“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,” Osigwe said.
The association demanded an immediate, coordinated response from security agencies and the federal government to secure the safe release of Udoka and the other victims.
It also demanded a more coordinated effort to address the growing insecurity on Nigeria’s highways.
“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,” the association stressed.
The NBA pledged solidarity with the victims’ families and said it would support efforts aimed at improving personal security for Nigerians.
It reiterated that protecting citizens’ lives is a fundamental duty of government and must be carried out with seriousness and resolve.
Reports suggest Udoka is a graduate of Ambrose Alli University and the law school at Enugu Campus.
Their kidnapping was made public by Blue Lawyer on X, who said the victims were on a vehicle from Abuja to Benin, the Edo State capital.
“My friend and colleague has been kidnapped on her way home from the Call To Bar ceremony. Please, we need help. There’s a 20 million naira ransom on her and her sister,” the post read.
PUNCH Online reports that the call to bar ceremonies for September 2025 were held on September 23 to 25, 2025.
The incident highlights the rising cases of kidnappings in Nigeria, particularly in Kogi State.
On Sunday, the Kogi State Police Command confirmed that a commuter bus belonging to Big Joe Ventures Ltd was attacked on Friday, and all twelve occupants were abducted.
But Police Public Relations Officer, SP William Aya, revealed that the police, in collaboration with the military, managed to rescue eight of the victims, while efforts are ongoing to locate and rescue the remaining four still held by the kidnappers.
Credit: punchng.com
