Bandits Abduct Kebbi Judge in Midnight Home Raid

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Kebbi State Police Command, SP Bashir Usman, said Justice Bunza was abducted from his residence around midnight.

Armed bandits have abducted a Kebbi State High Court judge, Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza, following a midnight attack on his residence in Bunza Local Government Area, raising fresh concerns over the escalating insecurity across Nigeria's North-West.

The attackers reportedly stormed the judge's residence along Zogirma Road at about 12:00 a.m. on Sunday, shortly after he returned from Sokoto State. Witnesses said the gunmen fired several shots into the air before taking him away. No member of his family was injured during the attack.

A source familiar with the incident said security agencies and the leadership of the Kebbi State High Court were immediately notified after the abduction.

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, CP Umar Muhammad Hadejia, had deployed tactical and intelligence teams to locate the kidnappers and secure the judge's safe release.

"Our personnel are combing identified locations, including forest hideouts, to ensure the judge is rescued alive and unharmed," Usman said.

A senior official of the Kebbi State High Court, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly, described the abduction as a major setback for the judiciary.

"The abduction of one of our judges from his residence is deeply disturbing. The High Court is already working with security agencies to ensure his immediate release," the official said.

As of the time of filing this report, no individual or group had claimed responsibility for the attack.

The incident adds to a growing wave of kidnappings targeting prominent public officials in northern Nigeria despite ongoing security operations.

The abduction comes barely days after bandits kidnapped the Chairman of Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State, Hon. Nura Umar Bungudu, during a late-night raid on his residence that left four security personnel dead, underscoring the persistent security challenges facing the region.