NBA Demands Release of Abducted Lawyer

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on Sunday called for the immediate release of Peace Udoka, a young lawyer who, along with her sister, was abducted by armed men in Kogi State just one day after being officially called to the Bar.

Udoka, a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) serving in Kogi, was kidnapped on Saturday along the Lokoja–Okene highway while travelling from Abuja to Benin City.

NBA President Afam Osigwe described the incident as “shocking and deeply concerning” and urged security agencies to take swift action.

In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), Osigwe said, “The Nigerian Bar Association has received with shock and deep concern the distressing reports of the abduction of one of our young colleagues, Onyesom Peace Udoka, a newly called lawyer, alongside her sister, around the Lokoja–Okene axis in Kogi State while returning from the recent Call to Bar Ceremony in Abuja.

“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 threat of insecurity on our roads.”

The NBA called on the Nigerian government and security agencies to act urgently to secure the release of Udoka and others still in captivity, emphasising that protecting citizens’ lives is the government’s primary duty.

The association also demanded stronger security measures on highways to restore public confidence and ensure the safety of travellers nationwide.

“The NBA stands in solidarity with the families of the abducted victims during this difficult time,” Osigwe added. “We pray for their safe and speedy return.”

The Lokoja–Okene highway, which connects the Federal Capital Territory to the south-west, has become a kidnapping hotspot. On September 8, gunmen attacked an 18-seater bus on the route, killing one passenger and abducting three others.