Eight suspects linked to the June 21, 2025, abduction of Justice Ebiyerin Omukoro, a Bayelsa State judge, have been paraded by security agencies in Yenagoa, detailing their roles in the crime. The suspects, comprising six males and two females, are in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), which coordinated the judge’s rescue and their arrests.

Justice Omukoro was kidnapped from an eatery in the Ekeki area of Yenagoa and taken to a neighboring state, where he was held captive. The Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, Francis Idu, and the State Director of the DSS, Adedapo Amao, presented the suspects to the public. Governor Douye Diri, during a state executive council meeting, announced that all suspects except the gang leader, who remains at large, have been apprehended.

One suspect, Brodrick, an indigene of Ozobo community in Delta State, confessed to journalists during the parade that he was recruited by a man he referred to as his “boss” for the operation. He claimed the group, equipped with uniforms and vehicles, had no specific target but “stumbled” upon the judge at an eatery named Kilimanjaro. “We moved from our camp, approached him, and kidnapped him to our camp in a neighboring state,” Brodrick said. He added that upon learning Omukoro was Ijaw from Ekeremor Local Government Area, they decided to “treat him well,” though the gang’s “General” insisted on keeping him in handcuffs.

Another suspect, John, admitted to being contacted for the operation but said he did not participate due to illness, though he was present at the camp when the victim was brought in.

Commissioner Idu praised Governor Diri’s security measures, crediting inter-agency collaboration and logistical support, including CCTV cameras installed across the state, for the successful rescue and arrests. He noted that a special DSS team from Abuja played a key role in apprehending the suspects, including the two female accomplices. Idu warned criminals that Bayelsa is no longer a safe haven, citing the suspects’ confessions as evidence of robust security efforts.

The investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue to pursue the gang leader.