Suspected armed bandits have abducted Kebbi State High Court judge, Justice Faruku Hassan, in a fresh attack that has heightened security concerns across Nigeria’s North-West.
Justice Hassan was reportedly kidnapped from his residence in Bunza Local Government Area in the early hours of Sunday, shortly after returning from a trip to neighbouring Sokoto State.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Kebbi State Police Command, SP Bashir Usman, said the judge was taken by the gunmen around midnight.
“I can confirm that Hon. Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza was abducted from his residence in Bunza around midnight,” Usman said.
Following the attack, Kebbi State Commissioner of Police, Umar Hadejia, ordered the immediate deployment of tactical and intelligence teams to track the kidnappers and secure the judge’s safe rescue.
Police said security operatives have intensified search and rescue operations, while investigations are ongoing to identify those behind the abduction. As of the time of filing this report, no group had claimed responsibility for the incident.
The kidnapping comes less than 24 hours after armed bandits reportedly abducted a local government chairman in neighbouring Zamfara State and killed four security operatives during the attack, underlining the growing insecurity in the region.
Bandit groups operating across the North-West have increasingly targeted high-profile individuals, including judges, local government officials, traditional rulers and religious leaders. The vast forest corridors linking Kebbi, Zamfara, Sokoto and Katsina states—particularly the Rugu and Kuyambana forests—continue to provide safe havens for criminal gangs, allowing them to launch attacks across state borders before retreating into remote hideouts.
