The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called for swift intervention from the federal government and security agencies to ensure the immediate release of one of its members, Onyesom Peace Udoka. Udoka, who had just been called to the Bar, was kidnapped along the Lokoja–Okene highway in Kogi State while returning from her Call to Bar ceremony in Abuja.
In a statement released on Sunday, NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, condemned the abduction as “utterly unacceptable and deeply distressing.” He emphasized that no family should be subjected to such traumatic experiences. “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 forced to endure such harrowing ordeals,” Osigwe stated.
The NBA has called on the government to prioritize the rescue of Udoka, her sister, and the other victims still held captive by the abductors. They also expressed concern over the increasing insecurity on Nigerian highways, demanding more coordinated efforts to tackle the issue.
“The safety and security of Nigerians cannot continue to be treated with levity. It is the government’s primary duty to protect its citizens, and this duty must be executed with the urgency and seriousness it warrants,” the NBA statement read.
Expressing solidarity with the families of the victims, the NBA reaffirmed its commitment to supporting all efforts aimed at enhancing security across the country.
The association remains hopeful for the safe return of the abducted individuals and continues to advocate for measures that will protect Nigerian citizens from growing security threats.
