Bandits abduct Kebbi High Court judge from residence

Gunmen suspected to be bandits have abducted a judge of the Kebbi State High Court, Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza, from his residence in Bunza Local Government Area of the state.

A source familiar with the incident said the attackers stormed the judge’s home along Zogirma Road in the early hours of Sunday, shortly after he returned from Sokoto.

“He had just returned from Sokoto when the gunmen stormed his residence and took him away,” the source said.

According to the source, no member of the judge’s household was injured during the attack, although the assailants fired sporadically before abducting him.

The spokesperson of the Kebbi State Police Command, SP Bashir Usman, confirmed the incident, saying Justice Bunza was abducted from his residence around midnight.

He said the Commissioner of Police, Umar Muhammad Hadejia, immediately deployed tactical and intelligence teams following the report 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,” Usman said.

A senior official of the Kebbi State High Court, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media, described the abduction as a disturbing development for the judiciary.

“Though I’m not authorised to speak formally to the press, this is a painful moment for us. To hear that one of our judges was abducted at his residence is very disturbing,” the official said.

He added that the management of the Kebbi State High Court had met with heads of security agencies in the state to strategise on securing the judge’s immediate release.