The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has expressed shock over the abduction of one of its young members, Onyesom Peace Udoka, and her sister along the Lokoja–Okene road in Kogi State.
Udoka, a newly called lawyer, was reportedly kidnapped with her sibling while returning from the recent Call to Bar ceremony in Abuja.
NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN), in a statement yesterday, described the incident as “tragic, unacceptable and utterly condemnable.”
He said it was disheartening that at a time when the nation ought to be celebrating the future of the legal profession, young lawyers and their families were being subjected to harrowing ordeals on the highway.
“No family should have to endure this trauma, and no citizen should live under the constant fear of insecurity on our roads,” Osigwe said.
The NBA chief called on the Federal Government and relevant security agencies to act with urgency to ensure the immediate and safe release of the victims.
He stressed that government must take its responsibility of protecting lives more seriously, adding that Nigerians could no longer tolerate the rising insecurity.
The association also demanded sustained security operations to make highways safe and restore public confidence.
“We stand in solidarity with the families of our abducted colleague and her sister in this difficult time, and we pray for their safe and speedy return,” Osigwe added.