Suspected bandits have abducted a Kebbi State High Court judge, Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza, in an overnight attack on his residence in Bunza Local Government Area of the state.
According to sources, the gunmen invaded the judge’s home along Zogirma Road at about midnight on Sunday, shortly after he returned from a trip to Sokoto, and whisked him away.
A source said the assailants stormed the residence soon after Justice Bunza arrived home, firing gunshots before fleeing with him. No one else in the house was injured during the incident.
The source added that the matter was immediately reported to the relevant authorities, including the leadership of the Kebbi State High Court.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Kebbi State Police Command, SP Bashir Usman, said the judge was abducted from his residence around midnight.
He disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, Umar Muhammad Hadejia, promptly deployed tactical and intelligence teams to track down the kidnappers and secure the judge’s safe release.
According to the police, security operatives are currently combing identified locations, including nearby forests, in an ongoing rescue operation.
A senior official of the Kebbi State High Court, who requested anonymity, described the abduction as a painful development for the judiciary.
The official revealed that the court’s management had already met with security chiefs in the state to coordinate efforts aimed at ensuring the judge’s immediate release.
As of the time of filing this report, no individual or group had claimed responsibility for the abduction.