Gunmen suspected to be bandits have abducted a Kebbi State High Court Judge, Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza.
The judge was reportedly seized in the early hours of Sunday at his residence along Zogirma Road in the Bunza Local Government Area of the state.
Sources told our correspondent that the attack occurred around midnight on Saturday, shortly after the judge returned from a trip to Sokoto.
“He had just returned from Sokoto when the gunmen stormed his residence and took him away,” a source said. He added that while the attackers fired shots sporadically to intimidate residents, no one else in the household was harmed.
The source further noted that the incident was immediately reported to the relevant authorities, including the leadership of the State High Court.
The Kebbi State Police Command has confirmed the abduction. Speaking to our correspondent, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Bashir Usman, said: “I can confirm that Hon. Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza was abducted from his residence in Bunza around midnight.”
The PPRO stated that upon receiving the report, the Commissioner of Police, CP Umar Muhammad Hadejia, immediately deployed tactical and intelligence operatives to ensure a safe rescue.
“As we speak, our personnel are combing identified locations, including forest areas, to ensure the judge is rescued alive and unharmed,” SP Usman added.
Reacting to the development, a senior official of the Kebbi State High Court, who pleaded anonymity, described the incident as a “disturbing and painful” moment for the judiciary.
“I am not authorized to speak formally, but it is very disturbing to hear that one of our judges was abducted at his residence,” he said. He added that the High Court management has already met with heads of security agencies in the state to strategize on securing his immediate release.
As of the time of filing this report, no group has claimed responsibility for the abduction.
