A JUUDGE of the Kebbi State High Court, Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza, has been abducted by bandits.
News Point Nigeria gathered that the High Court judge was kidnapped in the early hours of Sunday from his residence along Zogirma Road in Bunza Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
Sources who spoke with our correspondent said the attack occurred at about 12:00 a.m. on Saturday night, shortly after the judge returned from a trip to Sokoto State.
“He had just returned from Sokoto when the gunmen stormed his residence and took him away,” one of the sources said.
The source added that although no member of the household was injured during the attack, the armed men fired sporadically before whisking the judge away.
“Immediately the incident occurred, we reported to the appropriate authorities, including the leadership of the High Court,” the source added.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the Kebbi State Command, SP Bashir Usman, confirmed the abduction.
“I can confirm that Hon. Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza was abducted from his residence in Bunza around midnight,” the police spokesman said.
According to him, upon receiving the report, the Commissioner of Police, CP Umar Muhammad Hadejia, immediately deployed tactical and intelligence operatives to ensure the judge’s safe rescue.
“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 pleaded anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, also confirmed the incident, describing it 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 judges was abducted at his residence is very disturbing,” the official said.
He disclosed that the management of the Kebbi State High Court had already met with heads of security agencies in the state to strategise on securing the judge’s immediate release.
As of the time of filing this report, no group had claimed responsibility for the abduction of Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza.