Suspected bandits have abducted a judge of the Kebbi State High Court, Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza, from his residence in Bunza Local Government Area of the state.
The judge was reportedly kidnapped in the early hours of Sunday at his home along Zogirma Road, shortly after returning from a trip to Sokoto State.
Sources said the gunmen invaded the residence around midnight, firing sporadically before whisking the judge away. No member of his family was reportedly injured during the attack.
A source familiar with the incident said the abduction was immediately reported to security agencies and the leadership of the Kebbi State High Court.
"He had just arrived from Sokoto when the armed men stormed his residence and abducted him. Fortunately, no one else in the house was harmed during the attack," the source said.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Kebbi State Police Command, SP Bashir Usman, said Justice Bunza was abducted from his residence around midnight.
He disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, Umar Muhammad Hadejia, had ordered the immediate deployment of tactical and intelligence operatives to secure the judge's release.
"Our operatives have intensified search operations and are combing identified locations, including nearby forests, to ensure the victim is rescued safely and the perpetrators are apprehended," Usman said.
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 incident as a major setback for the judiciary.
"It is a painful development for the judiciary. The management of the High Court has already engaged security agencies and is working closely with them to ensure the judge regains his freedom as soon as possible," the official said.
As of the time of filing this report, no individual or group had claimed responsibility for the abduction, while security agencies continued efforts to rescue the judge and track down his abductors.
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