Kidnappers demand N20m ransom for female lawyer among 12 abducted passengers

The Kogi State Police Command has confirmed the abduction of 12 passengers travelling from Abuja to Benin, Edo State, in a Toyota Hiace bus belonging to Big Joe Ventures Ltd.

The incident occurred along the Okene-Auchi Road, a notorious route for highway kidnappings. The bus, with registration number Edo FUG 13 XY, was reportedly intercepted by gunmen who whisked away all occupants into the nearby forest.

Among the victims is a female lawyer, for whom the kidnappers are demanding a ransom of ₦20 million before her release.

“Subsequently, the DPO Okene Division, CSP Nasir Muhammad, immediately mobilised police personnel in conjunction with military and vigilantes in pursuit of the kidnappers.

“In the process, eight victims, including the driver, were rescued while efforts are still underway to rescue the remaining 4 victims and to make a possible arrest of the perpetrators,” he said.

However, Barrister Onyesom Peace Udoka, who was recently called to the Nigerian bar in Abuja, was also one of the 12 persons kidnapped alongside her sister while returning home from her Call to Bar ceremony.

According to the report, the incident happened in Kogi State, on Friday, September 27, 2025, just days after she was called to the bar in Abuja.