The Nigeria Police Force has commenced a coordinated operation to rescue a Kebbi State High Court judge, Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza, who was abducted by suspected bandits in Bunza Local Government Area of the state.
Justice Bunza was said to have been kidnapped about midnight Saturday when gunmen stormed his residence along Zogirma Road shortly after he returned from a trip to Sokoto State.
SP Bashir Usman, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Kebbi State Command, confirmed the incident, saying the command responded immediately after receiving a distress report.
He disclosed that the state commissioner of police, CP Umar Muhammad Hadejia, had ordered the immediate deployment of tactical and intelligence operatives to ensure the judge’s safe rescue.
He said security personnel have launched intensive search operations in identified flashpoints including nearby forests suspected to be possible hideouts of the kidnappers.
“Our personnel are busy combing the identified locations, including forest areas, to ensure that the judge is rescued alive and unharmed,” Usman said.
Sources close to the incident said the gunmen broke into the judge’s house shortly after he arrived from Sokoto and shot sporadically before taking him away. No one in his family was hurt in the attack.
The incident was immediately reported to the security agencies and the leadership of the Kebbi State High Court.
Meanwhile, a senior official of the Kebbi State High Court who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, described the abduction as a painful development for the judiciary.
He disclosed that the High Court’s management had met with the heads of the state’s security agencies to bolster efforts to secure the judge’s immediate release.
As of the time of filing this report, no group had taken responsibility for the abduction.
Authorities said rescue operations were under way.
Earlier, a source in the neighborhood, who also asked not to be named, said no one in the house was hurt, but the assailants fired sporadically into the air before taking the judge away.
Matawalle Charges Troops to Kill Terrorists Without Mercy
“On his part, the Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Matawalle, directed all military formations engaged in counter-terrorism operations in the North-West to step up efforts against armed groups, urging troops to deploy every lawful and necessary measure to eliminate terrorists.
Matawalle gave the directive in a statement issued on Sunday by his Personal Assistant on Media, Ahmed Dan-Wudil, while sympathizing with victims of recent terrorist attacks in Zamfara.
The minister sympathized with residents of Bungudu and other affected communities, assuring them that the Federal Government remains committed to restoring peace and security despite the recent upsurge in attacks across parts of the North-West.
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Matawalle also charged the leadership of Operation Fansan Yamma to sustain their resoluteness in the ongoing counter-terrorism campaign in collaboration with other security agencies operating in the region.
He directed Operation Fansan Yamma and all military formations deployed in Zamfara, Kebbi, Katsina, Sokoto and Kaduna states to scale up operations using all lawful and necessary means to dismantle terrorist networks through targeted military operations.
The minister also urged traditional rulers and community leaders to assist security agencies with credible and timely intelligence, especially on persons suspected to be aiding terrorists with information or logistic support used to attack rural communities.
He also ordered senior military commanders in the most volatile operational areas to tighten surveillance and increase patrols to locate and destroy terrorist hideouts and safe havens before they can be used to launch further attacks.
A former governor of Zamfara State, Matawalle, commended the Armed Forces and other security personnel for their gallantry, professionalism and sacrifices in the fight against terrorism.
He particularly commended recent operations that led to the neutralisation of several suspected terrorists in Gummi, Bukkuyum, Anka, Tsafe, Faskari and other locations.
The minister called on troops to sustain the momentum and keep the pressure on terrorist groups until insecurity is brought to an end across all affected parts of the country.
