A Kebbi State High Court Judge, Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza, has been abducted by bandits.
The high court judge, it was gathered was abducted in the early hours of Sunday at his home along Zogirma Road in Bunza Local Government Area of Kebbi.
The abduction of the judge comes on the heels of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, accussing President Bola Tinubu of creating the impression that some victims of insecurity matter more than others.
They urged him to provide updates and timelines for the rescue of 176 residents abducted from Woro community in Kaiama, Kwara State, who have remained in captivity since February 3, 2026.
On the Kebbi judge, Daily Trust quoted sources as saying that the attack occurred at about 12am on Saturday night shortly after the judge returned from a trip to Sokoto.
“He had just returned from Sokoto when the gunmen stormed his residence and took him away,” a source said.
He added that, though nobody in the house was hurt while the attackers were shouting sporadically before moving away with him.
“Immediately the incident occurred, we reported to the appropriate authorities, including the leadership of the High Court,” he said.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Kebbi State Command, SP Bashir Usman, confirmed the abduction.
He said, “I can confirm that Hon. Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza was abducted from his residence in Bunza around midnight”.
The PPRO said on receiving the report, the Commissioner of Police, CP Umar Muhammad Hadejia, immediately deployed tactical and intelligence operatives to ensure his safe rescue.
“As we speak, our personnel are combing identified locations, including forest areas, to ensure that the judge is rescued alive and unharmed,” the PPRO said
A senior official of the Kebbi State High Court, who pleaded anonymity, confirmed the incident, describing it as a sad development for the judiciary.
“I am not authorized to speak formally, but this is a painful moment for us. To hear that one of our judge was abducted at his residence is very disturbing”, he said.
No group has claimed responsibility for the judge’s abduction as of the time of filing this report.
The ADC on the Borno and Kwara victims in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the president’s celebration of the recent rescue of abductees in Oyo State had prompted questions about the fate of victims still being held in Kaiama, Borno and other parts of the country.
The ADC also cited the recent abduction of 40 residents in Zamfara, fresh attacks in Benue and the kidnapping of Kebbi High Court Judge, Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza, as evidence that insecurity remains widespread despite presidential assurances.
It argued that repeated promises that insecurity would soon end were no longer convincing, describing Tinubu as “a professional statement-maker” on security issues, and urged him to demonstrate through action that every Nigerian life carries equal value.
“The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is concerned by what is becoming an unmistakable pattern in the Tinubu administration’s response to insecurity: some victims receive swift presidential attention, while others are left to languish in silence.
“Every successful rescue of abducted Nigerians deserves to be celebrated. But the President must ensure that his actions do not create the impression that the value of a Nigerian life depends on where the victim comes from or whether the tragedy attracts national headlines. Leadership demands equal compassion for every citizen, because no country can build national unity on the basis of selective empathy and selective attention.
“On Friday, July 24, 2026, residents of Kaiama Local Government Area in Kwara State staged a peaceful protest over the fate of 176 residents of Woro community abducted on February 3, 2026. More than 170 days later, their families are still asking the same questions: Where are their loved ones? What has the government done? When should they expect them home? Their protest was not political. It was the cry of citizens who fear that their loved ones have been forgotten.
“The tragedy is not standing still; it is spreading. In Zamfara State, no fewer than 40 residents from 11 communities in Mayanchi District of Maru Local Government Area were recently abducted by bandits, most of them women and children, forcing terrified families to flee their homes.
“On Friday, July 24, fresh attacks again claimed lives in Benue’s Sankera axis. And in the early hours of Sunday, July 26, 2026, suspected bandits abducted a Judge of the Kebbi State High Court, Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza, from his residence. Meanwhile, communities in Borno State continue to endure insurgent attacks and mass displacement. These are not isolated incidents. They are reminders that insecurity remains a daily reality for millions of Nigerians.”
