Gunmen Kidnap Newly Called To Bar Lawyer, Onyesom Udoka, Sister In Lokoja, Demand N20million Ransom
Barrister Onyesom Peace Udoka, fresh from her Call to Bar ceremony, was abducted alongside her sister while traveling home around Lokoja—Okene axis, Kogi State on Friday, September 27, 2025 – just four days after her induction on Tuesday, September 23, in Abuja.
A graduate of Ambrose Alli University and the Nigerian Law School’s Enugu Campus, the new barrister was reportedly kidnapped by gunmen while aboard a vehicle en route from Abuja to Benin, the Edo State capital.
The details were confirmed through a viral public post on X by Blue Lawyer (@Rhave_official), who shared a desperate plea from Udoka’s colleague: “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 naira ransom on her and her sister.”
According Sahara Reporters, the captors’ demand for N20 million has left family and friends scrambling for aid, as posts on social media amplify calls for urgent intervention from authorities. This brazen attack not only robs a promising young lawyer of her newfound milestone but also exposes the perilous state of inter-state travel in Nigeria.
Yet, for families like Udoka’s, hope remains elusive amid escalating violence. Security experts decry the incidents as symptoms of systemic failures, urging federal and state governments to bolster patrols, intelligence sharing, and rapid response units along major highways.
As Nigeria grapples with this scourge, Barrister Udoka’s plight stands as a poignant call to action: no celebration should end in chains.
Authorities are yet to confirm operations, but public outrage mounts, demanding swift justice and safer roads for all.