NBA to FG: Rescue abducted lawyer, others in Kogi

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on Sunday called on the Federal Government and security agencies to act swiftly in securing the release of one of its new wigs, Onyesom Udoka, who was abducted along the Lokoja–Okene highway in Kogi State.

Udoka, a graduate of Ambrose Alli University and the Enugu Campus of the Nigerian Law School, was kidnapped on her way home from the recent Call to Bar ceremony in Abuja. She was reportedly seized alongside her sister and other passengers travelling in a commercial vehicle.

NBA President, Afam Osigwe (SAN), in a statement on Sunday, described the abduction as “unacceptable and utterly condemnable,” stressing that no family should be made to suffer such trauma during a moment of celebration.

“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 lamented.

The NBA demanded urgent, coordinated action by security agencies and the government to ensure the safe return of Udoka and the other victims.

It also urged authorities to intensify efforts to curb the worsening insecurity on Nigeria’s highways, insisting that protecting lives remains the constitutional duty of the state.

Meanwhile, the Kogi State Police Command confirmed that gunmen attacked a Big Joe Ventures Ltd commercial bus on Friday, abducting all twelve passengers. According to the Command’s spokesman, SP William Aya, a joint operation by police and soldiers rescued eight of the victims, while efforts are ongoing to rescue the remaining four.

Reports indicated that the kidnappers have demanded a ransom of N20 million for the release of Udoka and her sister.

The abduction comes barely days after the September Call to Bar ceremonies (September 23–25), and adds to the growing list of kidnapping cases in the state.

The NBA pledged solidarity with the victims’ families and vowed to continue pressing for improved citizen protection nationwide.