The Bayelsa State Police Command has made a significant breakthrough in the case of the 2015 abduction of State High Court Judge, Justice Eniyerin Omukoro, with the arrest of a key suspect. The individual, identified as “Ogbono,” is believed to be a postgraduate student at a federal university and a native of Ndoro in Ekeremor Local Government Area.
The suspect was apprehended by the Police’s Operation Puff Adder, and authorities discovered he was in possession of an old-model white Hilux van, which is thought to have been used during the kidnapping. Investigators linked him to the crime through intelligence gathered from two mobile phones, which were accidentally left behind at the abduction scene. These phones helped establish connections to other previously arrested individuals.
The arrest followed surveillance operations on two properties owned by Ogbono in Yenagoa, the state capital. He was detained while visiting one of these properties to issue a quit notice to tenants. Interestingly, one of the properties was previously linked to a motorcycle belonging to a dismissed police officer, who is also believed to have been involved in the kidnapping.
A senior police officer emphasized that this arrest underscores the Bayelsa State Police Command’s ongoing commitment to intelligence-led policing under the leadership of CP Daniel Iyamah, aiming to bolster public safety and bring justice to victims.
Justice Omukoro, who was abducted from an eatery in Yenagoa on June 21, 2015, was held hostage for 12 days before being released. Since then, eight suspects—including six men and two women—have been arrested and paraded in connection with the crime. However, Sergeant Obrientele Ebiarede, a dismissed police officer, remains at large.
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