Bayelsa Judge Omukoro Regains Freedom After 12 Days In Captivity • Channels Television

Justice Ebiyerin Omukoro, a serving judge of the Bayelsa State High Court, has regained his freedom 12 days after he was abducted by masked gunmen in Yenagoa, the state capital.

Justice Omukoro was kidnapped on the evening of Saturday, 21st June 2025, at Kilimanjaro Eatery, opposite Ekeki Park, shortly after returning from a trip to Warri, Delta State.

His release was confirmed on Thursday, although further details surrounding the conditions of his freedom remain sketchy at the time of filing this report.

Authorities and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) are yet to issue formal statements.

Days before his release, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yenagoa Branch, disclosed that security agencies had made progress in tracking the abductors of Justice Omukoro through “digital footprints.”

However, there had been no direct contact from the kidnappers throughout the period.

The judge was taken by masked gunmen at Kilimanjaro Eatery in Yenagoa, not far from a nearby police station. Eyewitnesses reportedly mistook the incident for a security operation.

In response, the NBA declared a court boycott across Bayelsa State, describing the abduction as “an attack on the judiciary.” The association also raised concerns about the security of judicial officers and urged authorities to act swiftly.

More to follow.