Nigeria: Police Arrest Key Suspect in 2015 Abduction of Bayelsa State Judge

19 January 2026

The Bayelsa State Police Command has arrested a key suspect allegedly involved in the June 2015 abduction of State High Court Judge, Justice Eniyerin Omukoro.

The suspect, known as "Ogbono," is reportedly a postgraduate student at a federal university and an indigene of Ndoro in Ekeremor Local Government Area. He was apprehended by operatives of Operation Puff Adder.

Police sources said the suspect was found in possession of an old-model white Hilux van allegedly used in the abduction. Investigations linked him to the crime through intelligence gathered from two mobile phones mistakenly left at the scene, which connected him to previously arrested suspects.

The arrest followed surveillance of two properties owned by the suspect in the Edepie suburb of Yenagoa, the state capital. He was reportedly taken into custody while visiting one of the properties to issue tenants a quit notice.

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According to sources, the property is also where police previously recovered a motorcycle belonging to a dismissed police officer believed to have been involved in the case.

A senior police officer stated that the arrest demonstrates the commitment of the Bayelsa State Police Command, led by CP Daniel Iyamah, to maintaining intelligence-led policing and enhancing public safety.

Justice Omukoro was abducted on June 21, 2015, at an eatery in the Ekeki area of Yenagoa and was released after 12 days in captivity. In connection with the case, eight other suspects, including six men and two women, have been arrested and paraded, while Sergeant Obrientele Ebiarede remains at large following his dismissal from the force.

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