Tension as serving High Court Judge abducted

Panic has gripped residents of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, following the abduction of a serving High Court Judge, Justice Ebitimi Gabriel Umokoro, by yet-to-be-identified gunmen.

Justice Umokoro, who presides over Court Seven of the Bayelsa State High Court, was reportedly kidnapped on Saturday evening, June 21, 2025, around 7:00 p.m., in front of Kilimanjaro, a popular restaurant located in the heart of the city.

Details surrounding the abduction remain sketchy as of press time. It is unclear whether the judge was accosted while inside his vehicle, whether he was driving himself, or if he had just stepped out of the restaurant when the incident occurred. While the possibility of him dining at such a public venue has raised eyebrows—given that judges are typically conservative and avoid public eateries, no concrete information has been confirmed.