The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on Sunday demanded the release of Onyesom Peace Udoka, a young lawyer abducted with her sister by gunmen in Kogi State a day after her call to the bar.

In a statement signed by NBA president Afam Osigwe, SAN, the association described the abduction as “shocking and deeply concerning” and urged security agencies to act immediately.

Udoka, a member of the National Youth Service Corps serving in Kogi, was taken along the Lokoja-Okene highway on Saturday while travelling from Abuja to Benin City.

According to the NBA, five other travellers were seized in the same incident. Family sources said the kidnappers have demanded a ransom of 20 million naira (£9,500).

The Lokoja-Okene axis, linking the federal capital to the southwest, has become a hotspot for kidnappings. On 8 September, armed men attacked an 18-seater bus, killing one person and abducting three passengers.

Two days earlier, several vehicles came under fire in a daylight assault, while in August more than a dozen travellers were reported missing after a similar ambush.

Security forces have carried out operations in the area, including the rescue of eight captives on the nearby Okene-Auchi highway on Saturday.

Despite these efforts, rights groups and professional bodies say kidnappings continue to undermine public confidence in safety on Nigeria’s highways.

Udoka, from Enugu State, was called to the bar on 24 September at a ceremony attended by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.

The NBA said her abduction highlights the insecurity facing citizens even during routine travel.

“It is the duty of government to protect lives and property,” Osigwe said. “We call for urgent and sustained action to secure our highways and ensure the safe return of our colleague and all others in captivity.”

The association also pledged support for Udoka’s family and reiterated its demand for stronger measures against abductions nationwide.