Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has directed security commanders in the state to ensure that Justice Ebieyerin Omukoro, who was abducted by armed men in Yenagoa, is released unharmed.
Diri gave the directive on Monday during his visit to Sagbama town as part of his ongoing local government thank-you tour to Sagbama Local Government Area.
He also warned criminal elements and their sponsors to retrace their steps, stating there was no hiding place for them following the state government’s investment in closed-circuit television cameras and other security gadgets.
Justice Omukoro was kidnapped last Saturday, and Diri disclosed that the assailants were caught on CCTV cameras and that investigations would unravel their identity.
He stated: “From the minute I was informed about the high-profile kidnapping of a judge of the state high court, I summoned security commanders in the state and gave them directives to ensure that the judge came out alive and well.
“Let me tell those who are either sponsors or involved in the kidnapping, it is time to give up. You cannot terrorise and intimidate your own people.
“Government has invested so much in the security sector, and the installed closed-circuit television cameras captured footage of the incident.”
The governor expressed appreciation to the people of Sagbama Local Government Area for giving the Peoples Democratic Party bloc votes in the November 11, 2023 governorship election that returned him and his deputy to office for a second term.
He also urged them, alongside Ekeremor Local Government Area, which constitutes the Bayelsa West Senatorial District, to remain united and promote peaceful coexistence.
In his remarks, the Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, described Sagbama as the headquarters of the PDP in the state.
He said the governor received the highest votes from Sagbama, which he referred to as ‘Kano votes’ in the 2019 and 2023 governorship polls, as the people had unflinching loyalty to the PDP.
Ewhrudjakpo, who hails from the local government, said it would remain a stronghold of the party and expressed gratitude to the immediate past governor and Senator representing Bayelsa West, Chief Seriake Dickson, for making a good choice in Senator Diri as his successor.
He also thanked the people of the three Sagbama constituencies for their steadfast support of Diri’s Prosperity Government.
