The Department of State Services (DSS) in Bayelsa State has confirmed the release of Justice Ebiyerin Umokoro who was abducted by gunmen on the 22nd of June, 2025
Although the condition bof his release was still sketchy as at the time of filling this report, this was coming on the heels of the call of his release by Angiama Osigwe, the President of Nigeria Bar Association.
The President of Nigeria Bar Association Afam Osiigwe ( SAN), had earlier Thursday called on those who abducted Justice Ebiyerin Umokoro to release him unconditionally.
The NBA President who was speaking on Thursday at the Office of Justice Daniel A. Ayah, President of customary Court of Appeal, said he was on a solidarity visit to register his displeasure over the abduction of the Judge.
He lamented that if a judge of that magnitude can be abducted in the state capital just like that, then ordinary people are not safe.
The NBA President had regretted that twelve days after His Lordship ‘s abduction, no news has been heard about him maintaining that his team has to be in the state to show solidarity because ” injury to one is injury to all.”
“This is the twelfth day that His Lordship has been missing and there is no sign of him and we thought that as members of the same family, we should come.
“The Legal Profession made it clear that in times like this, we must all stand together and work hand in hand to ensure that his Lordship is released. We have come to say that such action is condemnable and that his freedom is non+negotiable.
“This action has the tendency of putting fear in the mind of other brother judges who may be living the life of uncertainty.
“We are all casualties. In one way or the other, it affected all of us and we will do whatever we can to ensure that he is set free and let the culprit be brought to book so that this will serve as a deterrent to who may want to carry out such a dastardly act.
“I commend the. efforts of Security Agencies’ for the efforts they have made to ensure that he is set free.
He said it was unthinkable then to abduct a lawyer talk more of a Judge adding ” the judiciary of Bayelsa State and other states that have had their judges go through this faith, we are with you and we pray that God will always guide your steps so that this kind of thing doesn’t happen ever again.
“I thought that I should come to Bayelsa to say that we are with you and we are equally affected. We are very happy with the relationship between the Bar and the Bench in Bayelsa and we pray it goes beyond this in the days to come.”
Responding, the President of Court of Appeal Bayelsa State, Justice Daniel A. Ayah commended the NBA for their solidarity adding that “when this issue happened, they really took it open themselves.
Recall that Justice Ebiyerin Umukoro of High Court 7, was abducted on Saturday evening around 7:30 PM in front of a popular eatery in the Ekeki area of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
