High Court Judge Kidnapped by Bandits in Midnight Raid
- Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza of the Kebbi State High Court was abducted by suspected bandits from his residence
- The Kebbi State Police Command confirmed the incident and said tactical and intelligence operatives had been deployed to rescue the judge unharmed
- The Kebbi State High Court described the abduction as a disturbing development and said it had begun working with security agencies to secure the judge's release
A judge of the Kebbi State High Court, Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza, has been abducted by gunmen suspected to be bandits from his residence in Bunza Local Government Area of the state.
The abduction reportedly occurred around midnight on Sunday along Zogirma Road, shortly after the judge returned home from a trip to neighbouring Sokoto State.
Source: Getty Images
How did the abduction happen?
Sources familiar with the incident said the attackers stormed Justice Bunza's residence shortly after his arrival and whisked him away, Daily Trust reports.
According to one source, the gunmen fired sporadically during the attack but did not injure any member of the household before leaving with the judge.
"He had just returned from Sokoto when the gunmen stormed his residence and took him away," a source said.
The source added that the incident was immediately reported to the relevant authorities, including the leadership of the Kebbi State High Court.
What has the police said?
The Kebbi State Police Command confirmed the abduction and said efforts were underway to rescue the judicial officer.
Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bashir Usman, said Justice Bunza was taken from his residence in Bunza at about midnight.
"I can confirm that Hon. Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza was abducted from his residence in Bunza around midnight".
He disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, Umar Muhammad Hadejia, had deployed tactical and intelligence teams to track down the kidnappers and secure the judge's release.
"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.
Judiciary describes incident as disturbing
A senior official of the Kebbi State High Court, who declined to be named because he was not authorised to speak publicly, described the incident as a painful development for the judiciary.
"I am not authorized to speak formally, but this is a painful moment for us. To hear that one of our judge was abducted at his residence is very disturbing", he said.
The official added that the High Court management had already met with heads of security agencies in the state to discuss strategies for securing Justice Bunza's immediate release.
No group had claimed responsibility for the abduction as of the time this report was filed. Security agencies have continued search operations across identified locations as efforts intensify to rescue the judge unharmed.
Source: Legit.ng
