The Nigerian Bar Association has called for the immediate release of a young lawyer and National Youth Service Corps member, Eunice Ameh, who was reportedly abducted in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
President of the NBA, Afam Osigwe, described the incident as distressing and painful to members of the legal profession, insisting that urgent steps must be taken to secure her freedom.
In a statement shared via his X handle on Saturday, Osigwe said the disappearance of the young lawyer had unsettled the entire legal community.
“Release Eunice Ameh now! When a young lawyer goes missing, the pain is not distant to the Nigerian Bar Association, it is personal,” he stated.
The NBA president noted that the association was not merely a professional body but a community united by shared struggles and responsibilities.
“We are more than a professional body; we are a community bound by shared sacrifice, shared dreams, and a collective duty to stand for one another.
“The disappearance of Miss Eunice Ameh, our dear colleague and a young Nigerian serving her country through the NYSC scheme, has therefore deeply shaken the entire legal community,” he added.
Osigwe lamented the emotional trauma usually associated with missing persons cases, saying families and loved ones often endure sleepless nights while hoping for the safe return of victims.
“Behind every missing person report is a family unable to sleep, friends clinging to hope, and colleagues praying for safe return.
“No young Nigerian who answered the call to national service should disappear without an immediate, coordinated, and determined response from our security agencies,” he said.
He appealed to the Inspector-General of Police to mobilise all rescuing the abducted lawyer and apprehending those responsible for her disappearance.
“We therefore call on the Inspector General of Police to urgently deploy all necessary tactical and intelligence resources toward securing Eunice’s safe release and ensuring that anyone connected to her disappearance is swiftly brought to justice.
“This is not a moment for routine assurances. Every passing hour matters, and every effort must count,” Osigwe stated.
The NBA president also urged members of the public with useful information to support security agencies handling the matter.
“We stand firmly with her family, friends, and colleagues in this painful time, and we urge anyone with useful information to cooperate with the authorities so that Eunice Ameh can safely return home,” he added.
The appeal followed reports that suspected kidnappers demanded a ransom of N20m after abducting Ameh in Abuja.
The victim was said to have recently started work as a Sales Manager with Blades and Butchers Ltd and was close to completing her NYSC programme, including her final Community Development Service activities.