Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Suspected bandits have abducted a serving judge of the Kebbi State High Court, Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza, from his residence in Bunza Local Government Area in a late-night raid that has triggered a massive security operation and raised fresh concerns over the safety of judicial officers in Nigeria's increasingly volatile North-West region. The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday, July 26, 2026, along Zogirma Road in Bunza town, shortly after the judge returned from an official trip to neighbouring Sokoto State, according to multiple reports from Naija News, ThisDay, and Daily Trust. Gunmen suspected to be bandits invaded the judge's residence at about midnight, firing sporadically before whisking him away to an undisclosed location.
According to family sources, the armed men, said to be about seven in number, followed Justice Bunza as he drove into his compound and approached him as he was alighting from his vehicle. They reportedly asked if he was Justice Faruku, and when he denied it, they insisted they knew he was the person they were looking for. The judge then asked them in Hausa, "Lafiya?" (Peace?), but they ordered him to keep quiet. When he continued speaking, they brought out their guns and started shooting indiscriminately before taking him away on their motorcycles. No other member of the judge's family or household was injured during the attack, although the gunmen fired several gunshots before leaving with the judge.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Kebbi State Command, SP Bashir Usman, said the command received the report around midnight and immediately mobilised tactical and intelligence operatives. "I can confirm that Hon. Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza was abducted from his residence in Bunza around midnight," Usman stated. According to the police spokesman, the Commissioner of Police, CP Umar Muhammad Hadejia, ordered the immediate deployment of tactical and intelligence teams to track the abductors and secure the judge's safe release. "As we speak, our personnel are combing identified locations, including forest areas, to ensure that the judge is rescued alive and unharmed," Usman said.
A senior official of the Kebbi State High Court, who pleaded anonymity, described the abduction as a painful and disturbing development for the judiciary. "I am not authorised 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. The official further revealed that the management of the High Court had already met with heads of security agencies in the state to strategise on securing the immediate release of the judge.
The abduction of Justice Bunza comes just a day after the reported kidnapping of a local government chairman in neighbouring Zamfara State, raising serious concerns about the changing nature of insecurity in northwestern Nigeria. For years, armed groups have primarily targeted rural communities, travellers and traditional leaders. However, the reported abduction of a senior judicial officer suggests that even high-ranking public officials may no longer be beyond their reach. If a High Court judge can reportedly be kidnapped, it intensifies questions about intelligence gathering, protective security for public officials and the state's ability to deter increasingly audacious attacks. As of the time of filing this report, no group had claimed responsibility for the abduction, and there was no indication of any ransom demand. Security operatives are, however, said to be intensifying efforts to rescue Justice Bunza unhurt.
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