Police launch rescue mission as kidnappers abduct Bayelsa judge

By BARBARA KALU, Yenagoa –

A high-ranking judge in Bayelsa State, Justice E.J. Umokoro, has been kidnapped in Yenagoa, the state capital.

According to eyewitnesses, gunmen fired sporadically at the car park of a fast food outlet in Ekeki area, before forcing the judge out of his vehicle and whisking him away in a waiting Toyota Hilux.

The judge had been waiting for his daughter, who had gone into the outlet to make some purchases, when the incident occurred on Saturday evening.

Meanwhile, Bayelsa State Police Command has confirmed the abduction, with the Public Relations Officer, DSP Musa Mohammed, saying:

“Umokoro, a judge at Bayelsa State High Court was on Saturday evening abducted from his car at a fast food outlet at Ekeki area of Yenagoa.

“The command has deployed tactical teams and drones to trail and arrest the hoodlums,” he said.

The police said they are currently working to rescue the judge and bring the perpetrators to justice .