Fear and outrage have gripped the legal community after armed men abducted Barrister Onyesom Peace Udoka, a newly called-to-bar lawyer, alongside her sister in Kogi State.
Udoka, who only celebrated her Call to Bar ceremony on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, was returning from Abuja to her hometown when tragedy struck along the Lokoja axis on Friday, September 27.
According to reports, the 24-year-old graduate of Ambrose Alli University and alumnus of the Nigerian Law School, Enugu Campus, was traveling by commercial vehicle to Benin, Edo State, when her journey was violently cut short. Her abductors are demanding a staggering ₦20 million ransom for her release and that of her sister.
The incident came to light through a desperate plea posted on X (formerly Twitter) by a colleague identified as Blue Lawyer (@Rhave_official), who wrote:
> “My friend and colleague has been kidnapped on her way home from the Call to Bar ceremony. Please we need help. There’s a ₦20 million ransom on her and her sister.”
The kidnapping of Udoka — a young lawyer at the dawn of her career — has drawn sharp condemnation, highlighting Nigeria’s worsening insecurity and the dangers faced by ordinary citizens, particularly along inter-state highways.
This tragic development mirrors other recent abductions across the country. In Plateau State’s Kanam Local Government Area, gunmen whisked away District Head Alhaji Zubairu Usman Garba and two women. Meanwhile, in Katsina State, a fragile peace pact with bandits recently secured the release of abducted residents, offering a glimmer of hope amid deepening despair.
The abduction of Barrister Udoka has reignited calls for urgent, decisive action to halt the spate of kidnappings ravaging Nigeria. For her colleagues, friends, and family, it is more than a statistic — it is a terrifying reminder that no one is safe.
As the young lawyer’s fate hangs in the balance, security agencies face renewed pressure to not only secure her release but also to restore faith in a nation where journeys home have become journeys of fear.
PIONEER NEWS 