Justice Ebiyerin Omukoro, a serving judge of the Bayelsa State High Court, who was abducted on June 21, 2025, has finally been released after spending 12 days in captivity.
The judge was kidnapped 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.
Witnesses reportedly mistook the incident for a security operation, as the assailants—masked gunmen—operated just a short distance from a nearby police station.
Although Justice Omukoro regained his freedom on Thursday, the exact circumstances of his release remain unclear. At the time of filing this report, neither the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, nor the relevant security agencies had issued a formal statement regarding the conditions of his release.
Before his release, the Yenagoa Branch of the NBA stated that security operatives had made progress in tracking the abductors through “digital footprints.” However, throughout the judge’s time in captivity, there was reportedly no direct communication from the kidnappers.
In response to the abduction, the NBA declared a court boycott across Bayelsa State. The association described the incident as “an attack on the judiciary,” expressing serious concern over the safety of judicial officers and calling on the authorities to take immediate and decisive action.
