The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called for the urgent release of Peace Udoka, a newly called lawyer, who was abducted alongside her sister by gunmen along the Lokoja–Okene highway in Kogi State.
Udoka, a serving member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), was kidnapped on Saturday while travelling from Abuja to Benin City, barely a day after being called to the bar.
NBA President, Afam Osigwe, described the abduction as “shocking and deeply concerning,” urging security agencies to act swiftly.
“The NBA has received with deep concern the distressing reports of the abduction of our young colleague, Onyesom Peace Udoka, alongside her sister, on the Lokoja–Okene axis while returning from the Call to Bar Ceremony in Abuja,” Osigwe stated in a message posted on X on Sunday.
“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.”
He stressed that government must prioritise the safety of its citizens, noting that Nigerians should not continue to live under the constant fear of insecurity on the highways.
The NBA also urged intensified and sustained security operations across major roads to restore public confidence in the government’s ability to guarantee safety.
“The NBA stands in solidarity with the families of the abducted victims and prays for their safe return,” Osigwe added.
The Lokoja–Okene highway, a key route linking Abuja to the southwest, has become notorious for abductions. Earlier this month, gunmen attacked an 18-seater bus on the same axis, killing one passenger and kidnapping three others.
