Bayelsa State Governor, Duoye Diri, has directed security commanders in the state to ensure that a Judge of the state high court, Justice Ebieyerin Omukoro, abducted by armed men on Saturday in Yenagoa is released without harm.
Diri gave the directive on Monday in Sagbama town during his ongoing local government thank-you tour to Sagbama Local Government Area.
He warned criminal elements and their sponsors to retrace their steps as there was no hiding place for them following the state government’s investment in closed circuit television cameras and other security gadgets.
The governor said kidnappers of the judge were caught on CCTV cameras and that investigation would unravel their iidentiies.
“From the minute I was informed about the high profile kkidnapping of a judge of the state high court, l immediately summoned security commanders in the state and gave them a directive to ensure that the judge comes out alive and fit.
“Let me tell those that are either sponsors or are involved in the kidnap, it is time to give up. You cannot terrorise and intimidate your own people,” he said.
According to him government has invested so much in the security sector and that the installed closed circuit television cameras captured footages of the incident, he said.
Meanwhile, Diri has appreciated 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, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, to office for a second term.
He also urged them alongside Ekeremor council that make up the Bayelsa West senatorial district to remain united and promote peaceful coexistence.
The deputy governor described Sagbama as the headquarters of the PDP in the state.
Ewhrudjakpo said the governor got 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.
In context, Kano votes refers to the usually huge haul from Kano State during presidential elections.
The deputy governor, who hails from Sagbama, stressed that the local government 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 to Diri’s Prosperity Government.
Goodwill messages were presented by the member, representing Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency, Dr. Frederick Agbedi,
member representing Sagbama Constituency 1, in the House of Assembly, Dr. Godbless Oyinke, Lt. Col. Bernard Kenebai (rtd) (Constituency 2), and Hon. Ebizi Ndiomu-Brown (Constituency 3), expressed appreciation to the governor for continuing the Sagbama-Ekeremor road project.
They also commended him for transforming Sagbama through infrastructural projects and urged the state government to prevail on the Niger Delta Development Commission to construct the abandoned Abuetor-Elemebiri-Asamabiri road project awarded over 25 years ago.
