Kidnapped State Judge Regains Freedom After 12 Days in Captivity

Kidnapped State Judge Regains Freedom After 12 Days in Captivity

Justice Ebiyerin Omukoro, a judge of the Bayelsa State High Court, has been released after spending 12 days in captivity. He was abducted by masked gunmen on the evening of Saturday, June 21, at Kilimanjaro Eatery, located opposite Ekeki Park in Yenagoa, shortly after returning from a trip to Warri, Delta State.

His release was confirmed on Thursday, though the circumstances surrounding his freedom remain unclear at the time of this report. No official statements have yet been issued by the authorities or the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

Prior to his release, the NBA’s Yenagoa Branch had reported that security agencies were making progress in tracking the kidnappers using “digital footprints.” Despite this development, there had been no direct communication from the abductors throughout the ordeal.

Eyewitnesses said the abduction, which occurred near a police station, was initially mistaken for a legitimate security operation. The incident prompted swift condemnation from the NBA, which declared a boycott of court activities across Bayelsa State in protest. The association described the kidnapping as a direct attack on the judiciary and called for urgent action to ensure the safety of judicial officers in the state.