Kidnap of Bayelsa Judge: A Joke Taken Too Far, We Demand His Immediate Release – General Theophilus Ebiama Vicas
The National Spokesman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Third Phase, General Theophilus Ebiama Vicas, has unequivocally condemned the recent abduction of a revered Judge of the Bayelsa State High Court, Justice E.G. Umokoro, calling for his immediate and unconditional release. The Judge was reportedly kidnapped by unidentified gunmen in Yenagoa earlier last week.
In a strongly worded statement issued from the Office of the national spokesman, General Vicas described the act as "a joke taken too far" and a direct, calculated assault on the sanctity and integrity of the judiciary in Bayelsa State. He warned that this criminal act poses a grave threat to the peace and stability of the state and the entire Niger Delta region.
"We are utterly dismayed and infuriated by the brazen abduction of one of our most courageous and forthright judges. This is not just a criminal act for ransom; it is a meticulously orchestrated attempt to intimidate and weaken the pillar of justice in our state. We, the leaders and members of the Third Phase of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, will not stand idly by and watch our judiciary be desecrated and held to ransom," the statement read.
General Vicas issued a clarion call to the security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the military, to intensify their efforts and deploy all necessary intelligence and operational assets to ensure the swift and safe return of Justice Umokoro.
"The time for rhetoric is over. We expect to see immediate and decisive action. The perpetrators of this heinous crime must be apprehended and brought to justice to serve as a deterrent to others who may contemplate such a path. The security architecture of Bayelsa State must prove its mettle in this critical moment," he asserted.
The statement also directly addressed the Governor of Bayelsa State, His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, and other key stakeholders in the Niger Delta.If a serving judge of a state can be kidnapped in the state capital where they claimed to be crime free and millions of the task payers money wasted on CCTV cameras yet no single trace about the abductors,then something is wrong somewhere.And at this point,the safety of Bayelsans are no longer guaranteed.
"We implore Governor Douye Diri, as the Chief Security Officer of the state, to work in synergy with all security formations and critical stakeholders to secure the judge's release. This is a collective responsibility. The peace we have tirelessly worked to build in the Niger Delta is being threatened by this singular act of recklessness. We must all rise to the occasion and demonstrate that such criminality has no place in our society," General Vicas stated.
He concluded with a powerful message of resistance and solidarity: "An attack on the judiciary is an attack on the common man's hope for justice. It is an affront to the rule of law and a direct challenge to the authority of the state. We must resist this by all means necessary. We stand in solidarity with the family of Justice Umokoro, the Nigerian Bar Association, and the entire judiciary of Bayelsa State. We will not be silent until he is returned safely to his family and his judicial duties."
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