Kidnappers in Kogi State abducted lawyer Peace Udoka and five other passengers shortly after they drove past army and police checkpoints near the new army barracks in Okene, Kogi State, on Friday.
Udoka, who attended the Nigerian Law School in Enugu, was among the over 4,437 lawyers inducted to the Nigeria Bar by the Supreme Court of Nigeria in Abuja between Tuesday and Thursday.
After her successful induction, she hopped on a bus owned by Big Joe Transport on Friday for her return trip to Edo State.
On getting to Okene, the kidnappers waylaid the bus and successfully took five of them away.
In a telephone voice recording obtained from Onuigbo ThankGod Obumneme, one of her colleagues, the divisional police officer (DPO) of the nearest police station told Udoka’s colleagues that they had made initial rescue efforts.
“Based on efforts we put in place, we succeeded in rescuing five, including the driver,” said the DPO.
“I think they were eight or nine in number. Only four or five are with the kidnappers. Since when the incident happened, myself, the area commander, army and other sister security agents, we went inside the bush between 6 and 6:30 in the evening that same day.
“We are building on our efforts to get others out. The vehicle and the driver are with me.”
The DPO passed the call to a man who identified himself as the bus driver. FIJ could not independently ascertain the driver’s name at press time.
The man spoke in Pidgin while explaining how the incident occurred, saying the kidnappers were dressed in military uniforms.
[…]
FIJ has documented a series of abductions and how kidnappers made a killing from their victims in Kogi, suggesting that the region, which serves as a connecting state with the Federal Capital Territory, has become a kidnapping hotspot.
FIJ reported in August 2022 that 14 Indians were abducted while police officers protecting them were murdered in Kogi. Two incidents were reported between May and July 2021. Three family members of Ahmed Ajobe, a former Daily Trust editor, were also kidnapped in the state in November.
Nigeria: Newly-Called Lawyer Abducted Shortly After Driving Past Kogi Checkpoints
