Justice E.G. Umokoro of a State High Court in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State Capital, has been kidnapped.
Justice Umukoro, who is a presiding judge of High Court 7 in the state, was abducted at gunpoint in front of a popular eatery at the Ekeki axis of Yenagoa, at about 7:30pm on Saturday.
Witnesses said that the gunmen wearing black uniforms shot at him but missed their target, they then blocked him with an unmarked white Hilux van and whisked him away.
The black Toyota Prado jeep in which he was riding at the time of his abduction was left behind.
In a video trending on social media, the victim was seen struggling with his abductors.
Confirming the incident, Police spokesman in the state, DSP Musa Muhammad, in terse response on WhatsApp, said the command had deployed tactical teams and drones to trail and arrest the hoodlums.
“The command has deployed Tactical teams and drones to trail and arrest the hoodlums,” he said.
The kidnapped judge, who is said to be a respected figure in Bayelsa State judiciary, was said to have returned from a private engagement when the incident happened.
Justice Umukoro, a former chairman of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Yenagoa branch, has in the past presided over high profile cases in the state.
In 2021, he sentenced a man to 10 years imprisonment for raping and murdering a 5-year-old at Akede community of Sagbama Local Government Area of the state.
He has also previously presided over several election disputes in the state.