President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Afam Osigwe, has called for the immediate release of abducted lawyer and National Youth Service Corps member, Eunice Ameh, describing her disappearance as painful and deeply disturbing to the legal community.
Osigwe made the appeal in a statement posted on X on Saturday amid growing concerns over the whereabouts of the young lawyer, who was reportedly kidnapped in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
“Release Eunice Ameh now! When a young lawyer goes missing, the pain is not distant to the Nigerian Bar Association, it is personal,” he wrote.
The NBA president stated that the association was more than a professional body, noting that lawyers across the country were emotionally affected by the incident.
“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 stressed that behind every missing person case was a grieving family and anxious loved ones desperately hoping for safe return.
“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 stated.
He called on the Inspector General of Police to urgently intensify efforts towards securing her freedom.
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“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,” he said.
Osigwe also appealed to members of the public with useful information to assist security agencies in the rescue efforts.
“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 development comes amid reports that suspected kidnappers demanded a ransom of N20 million following Ameh’s abduction in Abuja.
She was said to have recently resumed work as a Sales Manager at Blades and Butchers Ltd and was nearing the completion of her NYSC programme, including her final Community Development Service activities.
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