In a dramatic turn of events, Peace Onyesom Udoka, a newly sworn-in lawyer who was kidnapped while returning from her call-to-bar ceremony, has regained her freedom — on her birthday.

Peace and her sister, Gift Onyesom, were abducted on Friday, September 26, along the Okene-Auchi road while traveling back to Benin after attending the call-to-bar ceremony in Abuja on September 23.

Days after their abduction, the kidnappers reportedly demanded a ₦40 million ransom for their release, throwing the family into anguish.

However, in a positive update shared on September 30, human rights activist Harrison Gwamnishu announced that the sisters had been freed and handed over to authorities in a village near Okpella, Edo State.

“Peace Onyesom Udoka and Gift Onyesom, kidnapped while returning from 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,” Gwamnishu wrote.

Notably, Peace’s release came on her birthday, adding a bittersweet touch to her ordeal and survival.

It remains unclear whether ransom was paid, as authorities and family sources are yet to confirm.

The incident has once again highlighted the growing insecurity on Nigerian highways, especially in the North-Central region, where kidnapping-for-ransom cases have become a disturbing trend.