By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
Panic has gripped residents of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, following the shocking abduction of a serving judge of the State High Court, Justice E. G. Umukoro, by armed men suspected to be kidnappers.
The incident, which occurred around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday near a popular eatery in the busy Ekeki area of the city, has raised fresh concerns over rising insecurity and the vulnerability of judicial officers in the country. Eyewitnesses say the attackers, dressed in black, arrived in an unmarked white Hilux van, blocked the judge’s vehicle a black Toyota Prado and attempted to shoot him before bundling him into their vehicle and speeding off.
“They didn’t take his car. They just came straight for him,” said one trader in the area who witnessed the abduction. “They shot but missed, then dragged him into their Hilux. Everyone ran away in fear. It happened so fast.”
A short video circulating on social media shows the dramatic moment the judge was overpowered by his abductors, struggling before being forced into the waiting vehicle.
As of Sunday afternoon, the Bayelsa State Police Command had not officially confirmed the incident. Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Musa Muhammad, were unsuccessful as calls and messages to his line went unanswered.
The brazen nature of the kidnapping, in a busy part of the state capital and in view of onlookers, has sparked outrage, with residents and legal professionals calling for immediate action. A legal practitioner in Yenagoa who preferred not to be named said, “If a High Court judge can be kidnapped in such a manner, who is safe? This is a direct affront to the judiciary and a sign that security in Bayelsa is under serious threat.”
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) is expected to issue a statement on the incident. Meanwhile, family, friends, and colleagues of Justice Umukoro are anxiously awaiting news of his whereabouts.