Suspected bandits have abducted a Kebbi State High Court judge, Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza, after invading his residence in Bunza Local Government Area of the state.
The Kebbi State Police Command confirmed the incident on Sunday, saying the judge was taken away by the gunmen during the attack.
The command's spokesperson, SP Bashir Usman, said the assailants stormed Justice Bunza's residence around midnight and whisked him away.
"I can confirm that Hon. Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza was abducted from his residence in Bunza around midnight," Usman said.
He added that the Commissioner of Police, CP Umar Muhammad Hadejia, had ordered the immediate deployment of tactical and intelligence teams to trail the kidnappers and secure the judge's safe release.
"Our personnel are combing identified locations, including forest hideouts, to ensure that the judge is rescued alive and unharmed," the police spokesman stated.
Sources said the attack occurred at about 12:00 a.m. on Sunday along Zogirma Road in Bunza, shortly after the judge returned from a trip to Sokoto State.
According to the sources, the heavily armed attackers fired several gunshots into the air before forcibly taking Justice Bunza from his home.
Despite the attack, no other member of the judge's household was abducted or harmed.
A source familiar with the incident said the judge had only just arrived from Sokoto when the gunmen struck.
A family member, who requested anonymity, said the authorities were notified immediately after the abduction.
"Immediately the incident happened, we alerted the relevant authorities, including the leadership of the High Court," the family member said.
Security operatives have since launched a search operation across suspected hideouts in an effort to rescue the abducted judge and apprehend those responsible for the attack.
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