The Bayelsa State Police Command has confirmed the abduction of Justice E.J. Umokoro, a serving judge of the Bayelsa State High Court, in Yenagoa.
According to a statement released on Sunday by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Musa Mohammed, the judge was kidnapped on Saturday evening while waiting in his vehicle at a fast-food outlet in the Ekeki area of the state capital.
“Justice Umokoro was abducted from his car at the premises of the eatery. The command has deployed tactical teams and surveillance drones to locate and apprehend the suspects,” DSP Mohammed stated.
Eyewitnesses at the scene said the abductors, armed with rifles, stormed the area, fired multiple shots into the air to cause panic, and forcibly dragged the judge out of his car. He was reportedly waiting for his daughter, who had entered the restaurant to place an order.
The attackers then sped off in a waiting Toyota Hilux vehicle.
The police assured the public that a rescue operation is underway and vowed to bring those responsible to justice.