High Court Judge abducted in midnight attack
Gun men have abducted a Kebbi State High Court judge, Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza, from his private residence along Zogirma Road in Bunza Local Government Area.
It was a daring attack that underscores the growing reach of insecurity in the North-Western Nigeria.
The incident, which occurred around midnight on Sunday, marks the second abduction of a serving Nigerian judge in recent times, following the June 2025 kidnapping of Justice Ebiyerin Umokoro in Bayelsa State.
How the attack unfolded
According to family members, the attackers trailed the judge as he returned home from an official trip to Sokoto.
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Speaking to journalists, the judge’s brother, Malam Shehu Yusuf Bunza, relayed the account given by Justice Bunza’s son, Abdullahi, who witnessed the ordeal.
”About seven armed men followed his father as he was returning from Sokoto. As he drove into his compound and was getting out of his vehicle, they approached him,” Shehu revealed.
”They asked if he was Justice Faruku. He denied it… but they insisted they knew he was the person they were looking for. When he questioned them in Hausa, ‘Lafiya?’ (Is everything alright?), they ordered him to keep quiet. When he continued speaking, they pulled out their guns and began shooting indiscriminately.”
Family members disclosed that the gunmen demanded to enter the inner residential quarters, but Justice Bunza courageously refused to protect the women inside. After fruitlessly searching for his son, the attackers forced the judge onto a motorcycle and fled into the night. No injuries were reported among other occupants of the house.
The matter was immediately reported to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Bunza, as well as the leadership of the Kebbi State High Court.
Security forces launch search operation
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the Kebbi State Command, SP Bashir Usman, stated that the Commissioner of Police, CP Umar Muhammad Hadejia, has ordered an immediate manhunt.
”Our personnel are currently combing identified locations, including forest areas, to ensure that the judge is rescued alive and unharmed,” SP Usman said.
A senior official at the Kebbi State High Court, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, described the news as a deeply disturbing blow to the state’s judiciary. Court management has already met with security heads in the state to coordinate intelligence and rescue efforts.
Responding to the incident, Ahmed Idris, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Nasir Idris, assured the public that the state government is leaving no stone unturned:
”The governor has directed security personnel to intensify efforts to rescue him… We are optimistic that he will soon be rescued and reunited with his family.”
A rising threat in quiet territories
While Kebbi State has faced banditry in recent years, violence has largely been concentrated in its southern and eastern LGAs—such as Danko/Wasagu—which border dense forest hideouts across Zamfara, Niger, and Sokoto states.
Bunza LGA has historically remained relatively calm, making Sunday’s targeted abduction a worrying escalation for local residents and judicial officers alike.
Justice Bunza, born in November 1960, is an alumnus of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, and was called to the Bar in 1990. Before his elevation to the High Court bench in 2012, he served as a Magistrate, Chief Magistrate, and Deputy Chief Registrar. Relatives describe him as a humble, peace-loving man with no known enemies.
Defense minister orders ‘surgical operations without mercy’
The abduction comes amidst a broader wave of attacks across the region. In response to the escalating violence—including the recent killing of police officers and the abduction of a Local Government Chairman in neighboring Zamfara State—Minister of State for Defence, Mohammed Bello Matawalle, has ordered a fresh crackdown.
Matawalle directed troops under Operation Fansan Yamma to step up offensive actions across Zamfara, Kebbi, Katsina, Sokoto, and Kaduna states.
He tasked military commanders to deploy “surgical operations without mercy” to neutralize bandit hideouts and appealed to community leaders to provide timely intelligence to track down logistics networks supporting terrorists.
Opposition ADC decries worsening insecurity
Reacting to the developments, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) issued a statement condemning the attack, noting that the abduction of a high court judge highlights the persistent threat faced by everyday citizens.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party urged President Bola Tinubu to show equal urgency for all security crises across the nation—citing ongoing spates of abductions in Zamfara, Kwara, Benue, and Borno states.
”Leadership is not measured by how quickly government celebrates a rescue; it is measured by whether no Nigerian is left behind or forgotten,” the ADC stated, calling for concrete timelines and regular updates on rescue missions nationwide.
At the time of filing this report, no group has officially claimed responsibility for Justice Bunza’s abduction, and ransom demands have yet to be made.
