The suspects have described how they kidnapped Justice Ebiyerin Omukoro, a judge on the Bayelsa High Court, from a restaurant in Yenagoa and transported him to a neighboring state.
According to reports, the eight suspects—six men and two women—were paraded in Yenagoa on Thursday by Francis Idu, the commissioner of police for Bayelsa State, and Adedapo Amao, the director of the Department of State Services (DSS).
During their march, the suspects, who are still being held by the DSS, allegedly admitted to the crime.
Justice Brodrick, an indigenous member of the Ozobo village in Delta State and one of the main suspects, acknowledged that he participated in the kidnapping after receiving a call from a man he identified as his boss.
He therefore called me on June 21 to invite me to Yenagoa. John Uzi, who stands next to me, was also called by him. And I invited my younger brother, Kelvin Olu, to accompany me to Bayelsa,” Brodrick said to reporters.
He clarified that they were given uniforms and a mission vehicle upon their arrival in Bayelsa.
“We left our camp, but it wasn’t a set target,” he stated. Before we met the judge at Kilimanjaro (a restaurant), we were only patrolling. Therefore, we went up to him and took him to our camp.
Brodrick claims that when they kidnapped their victim, they had no idea that he was a judge. However, they chose to treat him with some dignity after learning that he was from the Ekeremor Local Government Area.
“Our leader, who we call ‘General,’ insisted that he be kept in handcuffs but treated as one of our own when he revealed that he is Ijaw,” he claimed.
John, another suspect who was paraded, said he was at the camp when the judge arrived but did not take part in the actual operation because of his poor health.
At the State Executive Council meeting on Wednesday, Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri had previously stated that everyone engaged in the kidnapping had been taken into custody, with the exception of the gang leader, who is still at large.
Francis Idu, the Commissioner of Police, credited the arrest to successful interagency cooperation, emphasizing the Department of State Services’ contribution by sending a special operations team from Abuja.
He praised the installation of CCTV cameras in key locations throughout the state, which helped with the operation, and praised Governor Diri for providing the logistics that made the rescue possible.
“The arrest of these suspects is a testament to His Excellency, Governor Douye Diri’s security governance strategy,” Idu stated.
“This case demonstrates that Bayelsa is no longer safe for criminals, and he has consistently emphasized the need for cooperation among security agencies.”
Additionally, the police head strongly cautioned anyone planning to commit crimes in the state.
