A Kebbi State High Court Judge, Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza, has been abducted by suspected bandits from his residence along Zogirma Road in Bunza Local Government Area of the state.
The incident reportedly occurred around midnight in the early hours of Sunday, shortly after the judge returned home from a trip to Sokoto State.
Sources familiar with the incident said the gunmen stormed the residence, fired sporadically and whisked the judge away to an unknown destination.
“He had just returned from Sokoto when the gunmen stormed his residence and took him away,” a source said.
The source added that no member of the judge’s household was injured during the attack, but the incident immediately caused fear and anxiety in the area.
“Immediately the incident occurred, we reported it to the appropriate authorities, including the leadership of the High Court,” the source added.
A family source also appealed to security agencies and the state government to intensify efforts to secure the judge’s release.
“We are deeply worried about the abduction of our brother. We appeal to Nigerians to pray for his safe return and urge security agencies to act swiftly,” the source said.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Kebbi State Command, SP Bashir Usman, said Justice Bunza was abducted from his residence around midnight.
“I can confirm that Hon. Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza was abducted from his residence in Bunza around midnight,” Usman said.
He disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, CP Umar Muhammad Hadejia, immediately deployed tactical and intelligence operatives to rescue the judge.
“As we speak, our personnel are combing identified locations, including forest areas, to ensure that the judge is rescued alive and unharmed,” the police spokesman said.
The police said security operatives had launched a coordinated manhunt for the abductors, with teams combing suspected hideouts and surrounding forest areas.
A senior official of the Kebbi State High Court, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment officially, described the abduction as a painful and disturbing moment for the judiciary.
“I am not authorised to speak formally, but 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 High Court had already met with heads of security agencies in the state to strategise on securing the judge’s immediate release.
The abduction has heightened concerns over the safety of judicial officers, particularly those serving in rural and vulnerable communities, at a time when parts of northwestern Nigeria continue to battle kidnapping, banditry and violent attacks.
No group had claimed responsibility for the abduction as of the time of filing this report, while security agencies said investigations and search-and-rescue operations were ongoing.
