Security agencies are on the trail of bandits who seized a judge of the Kebbi State High Court, Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza from his residence in Bunza Local Government Area of Kebbi State in the early hours of Sunday.
The abduction reportedly occurred around midnight, shortly after Justice Bunza returned from a trip to Sokoto. According to sources, the gunmen stormed his residence along Zogirma Road, fired sporadically, and whisked him away. No member of his family was injured during the attack.
A source familiar with the incident said the matter was immediately reported to the relevant authorities and the leadership of the Kebbi State High Court. “He had just returned from Sokoto when the gunmen stormed his residence and took him away,” the source said.
The spokesperson for the Kebbi State Police Command, SP Bashir Usman, confirmed the abduction, saying security operatives had been mobilized to rescue the judge.
“I can confirm that Hon. Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza was abducted from his residence in Bunza around midnight,” Usman said.
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He disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, CP Umar Muhammad Hadejia, immediately deployed tactical and intelligence teams to track down the kidnappers.
“As we speak, our personnel are combing identified locations, including forest areas, to ensure that the judge is rescued alive and unharmed,” the police spokesperson said.
A senior official of the Kebbi State High Court, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly, described the incident as a disturbing 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 from his residence is very disturbing,” the official said.
The official added that the management of the High Court had met with heads of security agencies in the state to coordinate efforts towards the judge’s immediate rescue.
As of the time of filing this report, no individual or group had claimed responsibility for the abduction, while security agencies continued efforts to secure Justice Bunza’s safe release.
Franktalknow
