A Kebbi State High Court, Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza, has been abducted by gunmen suspected to be bandits in Bunza Local Government Area of the state.
Media reports say the judge was reportedly seized from his residence along Zogirma Road in the early hours of Sunday, shortly after returning from a trip to Sokoto State.
Sources the armed men invaded the residence around midnight and whisked the judge away to an undisclosed location.
One of the sources said the attackers arrived shortly after Bunza returned home from Sokoto.
“He had just returned from Sokoto when the gunmen stormed his residence and took him away,” the source said.
No other person in the house was injured during the attack, although the gunmen caused panic before leaving the area with the judge.
“Immediately the incident occurred, we reported to the appropriate authorities, including the leadership of the High Court,” he added.
The spokesperson for the Kebbi State Police Command, SP Bashir Usman, confirmed the abduction, saying security operatives had launched an operation to rescue the judge.
“I can confirm that Hon. Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza was abducted from his residence in Bunza around midnight,” Usman said.
He explained that the Commissioner of Police, Umar Muhammad Hadejia, ordered the immediate deployment of tactical and intelligence personnel after receiving information about the incident.
According to the police spokesman, security teams have extended the search to suspected hideouts and forest areas in an effort to locate the abducted judge.
“As we speak, our personnel are combing identified locations, including forest areas, to ensure that the judge is rescued alive and unharmed,” the PPRO said.
A senior official of the Kebbi State High Court, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to address the media, also confirmed the incident.
The official described the abduction as troubling for the judiciary, particularly as the judge was taken from his residence.
“I am not authorized 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,” he said.
He added that the leadership of the state High Court had opened discussions with heads of security agencies over efforts to secure Bunza’s release.
According to him, meetings have already been held with relevant security authorities to coordinate measures aimed at locating and rescuing the judge.
