A Judge of the Kebbi State High Court, Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza, has been abducted by gunmen suspected to be bandits.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday at the judge’s residence along Zogirma Road in Bunza Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
According to sources, the attackers struck shortly after Justice Bunza returned from a trip to Sokoto. The abduction reportedly took place around midnight.
“He had just returned from Sokoto when the gunmen stormed his residence and took him away,” a source told our correspondent.
The source added that although the assailants fired sporadically during the attack, no member of the judge’s household was injured.
“Immediately the incident occurred, we reported it to the appropriate authorities, including the leadership of the High Court,” the source said.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Kebbi State Police Command, SP Bashir Usman, said Justice Bunza was abducted from his residence in Bunza at about midnight.
“I can confirm that Hon. Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza was abducted from his residence in Bunza around midnight,” the police spokesperson said.
Usman disclosed that upon receiving the report, the Commissioner of Police, CP Umar Muhammad Hadejia, immediately deployed tactical and intelligence teams to facilitate the judge’s rescue.
“As we speak, our personnel are combing identified locations, including forest areas, to ensure that the judge is rescued alive and unharmed,” he added.
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A senior official of the Kebbi State High Court, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, described the incident as a disturbing development for the judiciary.
“I am not authorised to speak officially, but this is a painful moment for us. To hear that one of our judges was abducted from his residence is deeply disturbing,” the official said.
The official further disclosed that the management of the High Court had already met with heads of security agencies in the state to strategise on securing the judge’s immediate release.
As of the time of filing this report, no individual or group had claimed responsibility for the abduction.
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