Justice Ebiyerin Omukoro, a serving judge of the Bayelsa State High Court, has been released after spending 12 days in captivity.
Justice Omukoro was abducted on the evening of Saturday, 21 June 2025, at the Kilimanjaro Eatery, located opposite Ekeki Park in Yenagoa, shortly after returning from a trip to Warri, Delta State.
Although he regained his freedom on Thursday, the circumstances surrounding his release remain unclear as at the time of this report. Neither the authorities nor the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has issued an official statement detailing the terms of his release.
Prior to his release, the Yenagoa Branch of the NBA had revealed that security agencies were making significant headway in tracing the kidnappers through digital surveillance. However, throughout the ordeal, no direct communication was reportedly established with the abductors.
Eyewitnesses recounted that the judge was seized by masked gunmen near a police station, with many initially mistaking the abduction for a legitimate security operation.
In reaction to the incident, the NBA declared an indefinite boycott of court proceedings across Bayelsa State, denouncing the kidnapping as a direct assault on the judiciary. The association further called on the relevant security agencies to intensify efforts in protecting judicial officers and upholding the sanctity of the legal system.
