Gunmen have abducted a Kebbi State High Court judge, Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza, from his residence along Zogirma Road in Bunza Local Government Area of the state.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday, making him the second serving judge to be kidnapped in Nigeria in recent times. In June 2025, Bayelsa State High Court Judge, Justice Ebiyerin Umokoro, was abducted in Yenagoa and regained freedom after spending 12 days in captivity.
According to sources, Justice Bunza had just returned from a trip to Sokoto when heavily armed men stormed his residence and whisked him away.
“He had just returned from Sokoto when the gunmen invaded his residence and abducted him,” a source said.
The attackers reportedly fired several gunshots during the operation, but no other member of the household was injured.
The source added that the incident was immediately reported to security agencies and the leadership of the Kebbi State High Court.
Confirming the abduction, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Kebbi State Command, SP Bashir Usman, said the judge was kidnapped around midnight.
“I can confirm that Hon. Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza was abducted from his residence in Bunza around midnight,” he said.
Usman disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, CP Umar Muhammad Hadejia, had deployed tactical and intelligence teams to track down the abductors.
“Our personnel are combing identified locations, including forest areas, to ensure that the judge is rescued alive and unharmed,” he added.
A senior official of the Kebbi State High Court, who spoke anonymously because he was not authorised to comment officially, described the incident as a painful development for the judiciary.
“This is a disturbing moment for us. The abduction of one of our judges from his residence is deeply troubling,” the official said, adding that the court’s management had met with security chiefs to strategise on securing the judge’s release.
As of the time of filing this report, no group had claimed responsibility for the abduction.
Family recounts ordeal
A brother of the abducted judge, Malam Shehu Yusuf Bunza, narrated how the incident unfolded.
According to him, Justice Bunza’s son, Abdullahi, informed him that about seven armed men trailed the judge from Sokoto to his residence.
“As he drove into his compound and stepped out of his vehicle, they approached him and asked if he was Justice Faruku. He denied it, saying Justice Faruku had travelled to Birnin Kebbi, but they insisted they knew he was the person they were looking for.
“He asked them in Hausa, ‘Lafiya?’ They ordered him to keep quiet, but when he continued speaking, they pulled out their guns and began shooting indiscriminately.
“They demanded that he take them to his rooms, but he refused because there were married women inside. They also asked for his son, Abdullahi, but he told them the boy was not at home. They then forced him onto their motorcycles and took him away,” Shehu said.
He added that the family immediately reported the incident to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Bunza.
Security concerns deepen
Although Kebbi State has experienced bandit attacks in recent years, most incidents have occurred in communities bordering forests in Niger, Zamfara and Sokoto states, which serve as hideouts for armed groups.
Bunza Local Government Area has not been regarded as one of the state’s major banditry hotspots, making the abduction of a serving High Court judge a significant escalation in the security situation.
Describing Justice Bunza as a peaceful man with no known enemies, Shehu appealed to the government and security agencies to intensify efforts to secure his release.
“He is a humble and peace-loving man. Whenever he is not presiding at the High Court in Birnin Kebbi, he stays quietly at home in Bunza. We are appealing to the authorities to do everything possible to rescue him. His wives, children and the entire family are deeply worried,” he said.
Chief Press Secretary to Governor Nasir Idris, Ahmed Idris, assured residents that the state government was working closely with security agencies to ensure the judge’s safe return.
“The governor has directed security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue him. We are optimistic he will soon be reunited with his family,” he said.
Justice Bunza, born on November 15, 1960, in Bunza Local Government Area, attended Bunza Waje Primary School, Haliru Abdu Teachers College, the College of Legal and Islamic Studies, Sokoto, and Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1990 and was appointed a High Court judge in 2012 after serving as a magistrate, Chief Magistrate and Deputy Chief Registrar.
Matawalle orders intensified offensive
Reacting to renewed attacks across the North-West, the Minister of State for Defence, Mohammed Bello Matawalle, directed troops of Operation Fansan Yamma and other military formations to intensify offensive operations against terrorists.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Ahmed Dan Wudil, Matawalle described the recent attacks in Zamfara as unfortunate and ordered troops to sustain military pressure through what he termed “surgical operations without mercy.”
He also urged traditional rulers, community leaders and residents to support security agencies with credible intelligence to expose collaborators aiding terrorists.
The minister further directed military commanders to strengthen surveillance and increase patrols across Zamfara, Kebbi, Katsina, Sokoto and Kaduna states to dismantle terrorist hideouts.
ADC blames insecurity
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) said the abduction of Justice Bunza underscores the persistent insecurity across Nigeria despite repeated assurances by the Federal Government.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party argued that the judge’s abduction, alongside recent attacks in Zamfara, Benue and Borno states, demonstrated the need for more decisive action against insecurity.
The party urged President Bola Tinubu to provide regular updates on efforts to rescue victims still in captivity, including the 176 residents of Woro community in Kwara State abducted in February 2026.
“The people abducted in Woro matter. The women and children abducted in Zamfara matter. The families under siege in Borno matter. The victims of fresh attacks in Benue matter. Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza matters.
“They deserve the same urgency, empathy and presidential attention given to every rescued Nigerian. Leadership is measured not by celebrating rescues but by ensuring no Nigerian is left behind,” the statement said.
ADC called on the Federal Government to match its assurances with concrete action by providing timelines, progress reports and evidence that affected communities have not been abandoned.
