Suspected kidnappers of Bayelsa High Court Judge, Justice Ebiyerin Omukoro, have narrated how they abducted him from an eatery in Yenagoa and ferried him to a neighbouring state.
Naija News reports that the eight suspects, six males and two females, were paraded in Yenagoa on Thursday by the Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, Francis Idu, in conjunction with the Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Adedapo Amao.
The suspects, now in DSS custody, reportedly confessed to the crime during their parade.
One of the key suspects, Justice Brodrick, an indigene of Ozobo community in Delta State, admitted that he joined the kidnapping after being contacted by a man he called his boss.
“So, he called me on June 21 that I should come to Yenagoa. He also called John Uzi, the person who is beside me. And I called Kelvin Olu, my younger brother, to come with me to Bayelsa,” Brodrick told journalists.
He explained that on arrival in Bayelsa, they were provided with uniforms and a vehicle for the mission.
He said, “We moved from our camp, but it wasn’t a fixed target. We were just patrolling before we met the Judge at Kilimanjaro (an eatery). So we approached him and kidnapped him from there to our camp.”
According to Brodrick, they were unaware that their victim was a judge when they abducted him. However, upon discovering that he hailed from Ekeremor Local Government Area, they decided to accord him some dignity.
He said, “When he told us he’s Ijaw, our leader, who we call ‘General’, insisted he should be kept in handcuffs but also treated well as one of our own.”
Another suspect, John, who was also paraded, claimed he didn’t participate in the actual operation due to ill health, but was at the camp when the judge was brought in.
Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, had earlier confirmed during the State Executive Council meeting on Wednesday that all those involved in the kidnapping had been arrested, except the gang leader, who remains at large.
Commissioner of Police, Francis Idu, attributed the arrest to effective inter-agency collaboration, highlighting the role of the Department of State Services, which deployed a special operations team from Abuja.
He commended Governor Diri for providing logistics that aided the rescue and lauded the installation of CCTV cameras in strategic parts of the state, which proved useful in the operation.
Idu said, “The arrest of these suspects is a testament to the security governance strategy of His Excellency, Governor Douye Diri.
“He has continually stressed the need for collaboration among security agencies, and this case shows that Bayelsa is no longer safe for criminals.”
The police chief also issued a strong warning to individuals plotting criminal activities in the state.
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