Unknown gunmen, on Saturday around 7:00 pm, abducted a State High Court Judge, Justice E.G. Umokoro, in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

He was reportedly kidnapped in front of a popular eatery in the Ekeki area along Chief Melford Okilo Expressway at about 7:00 pm.

Although the motive for the abduction is unclear, the kidnapping heightens tension in the state following violent clashes between cult groups, which have claimed scores of lives, including violent robberies in parts of the state.

Efforts to reach the Bayelsa Police Command image maker, Musa Mohammed, a superintendent, proved abortive as calls to his line went unanswered.

He also did not respond to a text message sent to his phone.