The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) confirmed the abduction of a female lawyer who was newly called to the Nigerian bar.
NATIONAL POST reports that the victim, Onyesom Peace Udoka, a newly called lawyer, was kidnapped alongside her sister, around the Lokoja–Okene axis in Kogi State.
She was returning from the recent Call to Bar Ceremony in Abuja.
In a statement on Sunday, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, President, Nigerian Bar Association, said the NBA received with shock and deep concern the distressing reports of the incident.
He said the tragic development was 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 fear of insecurity on our roads.
“The NBA strongly calls on the Federal Government and all relevant security agencies to rise to the occasion, act with urgency, and ensure the immediate and safe release of our colleague and all others in captivity.
“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,” he added.
The NBA further demanded intensified and sustained action to secure highways and restore public confidence in the ability of the government to guarantee the safety of all who travel across the country.
“The NBA stands in solidarity with the families of the abducted victims in this difficult time, and we pray that God grants the victims a safe and speedy return to their loved ones,” the statement read further.
