Bandits Seize Kebbi High Court Judge in Late-Night Home Attack

The deepening crisis of insecurity in Nigeria has been starkly underscored by the abduction of Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza, a High Court judge in Kebbi State. Armed bandits reportedly stormed his residence in Bunza Local Government Area, along Zogirma Road, in the early hours of Sunday morning, around 12:00 a.m.

Sources close to the incident revealed that Justice Bunza had just returned from a trip to Sokoto State when the assailants invaded his home. The attackers discharged firearms sporadically into the air before forcibly taking the judge away. Fortunately, no other member of his household sustained physical harm during the operation.

“He had just returned from Sokoto when the gunmen invaded his residence and abducted him,” an informed source stated. The source further added, “Immediately the incident happened, we alerted the relevant authorities, including the leadership of the High Court.”

Confirming the distressing event, SP Bashir Usman, the spokesperson for the Kebbi State Police Command, verified that Hon. Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza was indeed abducted from his home around midnight. “I can confirm that Hon. Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza was abducted from his residence in Bunza around midnight,” Usman affirmed.

In response, the Commissioner of Police, CP Umar Muhammad Hadejia, promptly deployed specialized tactical and intelligence teams. Their mandate is to meticulously track down the abductors and ensure the safe release of the judge. “Our personnel are combing identified locations, including forest hideouts, to ensure that the judge is rescued alive and unharmed,” the police spokesperson disclosed.

A senior official of the Kebbi State High Court, who requested anonymity due to not being authorized to comment publicly, expressed profound distress over the incident, describing it as a severe setback for the judiciary. “This is a painful moment for us. The abduction of one of our judges from his own residence is deeply disturbing,” the official remarked. He also noted that the High Court management had already convened with security chiefs within the state to coordinate efforts aimed at securing Justice Bunza’s immediate freedom.

As of the time this report was filed, no group or individual had claimed responsibility for the abduction. This event serves to highlight the escalating boldness of armed bandits, who continue to target prominent Nigerians despite ongoing security operations across the North-West region. This incident follows a similar attack on Saturday, when SaharaReporters reported the abduction of Hon. Nura Umar Bungudu, the Chairman of Bungudu Local Government Area in Zamfara State. That attack occurred on Thursday night at his residence in the Zango area of Bungudu town, less than 20 kilometres from Gusau, the Zamfara State capital, and tragically resulted in the deaths of four security personnel.