Lawyer Onyesom Udoka and her sister Gift have regained freedom four days after being abducted by gunmen while travelling from Abuja to Benin, Edo State.
The sisters were kidnapped on Friday, September 26, around Okene in Kogi State, along with 11 others while returning from the Call to Bar ceremony held in Abuja on September 23.
While eight of the abductees were released earlier, Udoka and four others remained in captivity until Monday.
Confirming the development, activist Harrison Gwamnishu said in a post, “Freedom on her birthday. Peace Onyesom Udoka and Gift Onyesom, kidnapped while returning from the Call to Bar ceremony in Abuja, have just been released to us at a village near Okpella. It’s a tough journey. Details later today or tomorrow morning.”
The sisters expressed gratitude to Nigerians who spoke out during their ordeal.
Their release coincided with Gift’s birthday.
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) had earlier demanded their release, calling on the government and security agencies to secure the freedom of all abducted persons.
NBA president Afam Osigwe, in a statement, described their abduction as a matter of concern and urged urgent action.
Udoka was among thousands of lawyers admitted to the Nigerian Bar at the Call to Bar ceremony in Abuja between September 23 and 25.
