The family of a Kebbi State High Court judge, Justice Faruk Hassan Bunza, who was kidnapped from his residence, has confirmed paying N50 million ransom to secure his release.

Justice Bunza was abducted in the early hours of Sunday, July 26, when heavily armed bandits stormed his residence in Bunza Local Government Area of Kebbi State.

The incident was the second abduction of a serving judge in the country in recent times, after the abduction of a Bayelsa State high court judge, Ebiyerin Umokoro, in June 2025.

Justice Bunza regained his freedom on Monday after spending eight days in captivity.

His release was confirmed by the Kebbi State Police Command, his family and the state Ministry of Justice.

The police spokesperson in the state, Bashir Usman, said in a statement that the judge was released earlier on Monday and had reunited safely with his family.

“With the judge now released, the police and other security agencies have intensified investigative efforts to track down the perpetrators and bring them to justice,” the statement said.

The command also appreciated members of the public and partner security agencies for their support during the operation.

It urged residents to continue providing confidential and actionable information that could assist security agencies in arresting the kidnappers.

A member of Justice Bunza’s family, who spoke to Daily Trust on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, confirmed that N50 million was paid to the abductors.

He said the judge was receiving attention and recovering at his residence in Bunza.

According to the family member, the kidnappers initially demanded N200 million but later agreed to accept N50 million after days of negotiations throughout the period the judge spent in captivity.

“We are still attending to him at home since his release on Monday. As you know, he needs time to recover from the trauma he went through.

“We will address the media when he has fully recovered, and we are ready to speak. We will then share details of his ordeal in the hands of his abductors. As for whether a ransom was paid, I can confirm that N50 million was paid,” the source said.

The source also expressed appreciation to the Kebbi State government, security agencies, the state judiciary and residents of the state for their support, prayers and concern throughout the period of the judge’s abduction.

“We are grateful to everyone who stood by us during this difficult period, especially the state government, the security agencies, the judiciary and all those who prayed for his safe return,” he said.

Another family member, who spoke to the Hausa online platform, DCL Hausa, said the abductors, believed to be about five in number, received the ransom on Friday after directing the family to a location deep inside a forest, more than 70 kilometres from Birnin Kebbi.

According to the relative, the kidnappers made an unusual request shortly before the ransom was handed over.

“While we were on our way to deliver the money, they called and asked us to bring five bottles of malt drinks and five bottles of Dudu drinks. They opened the drinks and consumed them in our presence before collecting the ransom,” the source said.

The family said it received news of the judge’s release between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. on Monday.

“We were informed of his release around 6 to 7 a.m. He was brought home in a commercial vehicle conveying firewood and dropped in front of the house,” the family member said.

According to the source, the judge appeared to be in good health and showed no visible signs of any physical distress after regaining his freedom.

“He is hale and hearty. There is nothing unusual about his physical appearance,” the source added.

However, the police command said the judge abductors made a ransom demand, but it stood firmly against it.

“Although the kidnappers made a ransom demand, the command maintains its firm stance against ransom payment,” the police said.

How Justice Bunza was kidnapped

Gunmen on July 26 stormed the residence of the judge on Zogirma Road in Bunza Local Government Area of Kebbi State shortly after he returned from a trip to Sokoto.

The source said no one else in the house was injured, although the attackers fired several gunshots before abducting the judge.

A brother of the abducted judge, Malam Shehu Yusuf Bunza, in an earlier chat with Daily Trust, narrated how the incident happened.

Shehu said, “I was in Birnin Kebbi when one of his sons, Abdullahi, called me. He said about seven armed men followed his father as he was returning from Sokoto. As he drove into his compound and was getting out of his vehicle, they approached him.

“They asked if he was Justice Faruku. He denied it, saying Faruku had gone to Birnin Kebbi, but they insisted they knew he was the person they were looking for.

“He then asked them in Hausa, ‘Lafiya?’ They ordered him to keep quiet, but when he continued speaking, they brought out their guns and started shooting indiscriminately.

“They asked him to take them to his rooms, but he refused, saying there were married women inside.

“They also asked for one of his sons, Abdullahi, but he told them the boy had gone out. After that, they took him away on their motorcycles.”

The abduction sparked outrage across the state and drew condemnation from the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), which described the incident as a grave assault on the judiciary, the rule of law, and Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.

NBA, in a statement by its outgoing President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, said: “The NBA unequivocally condemns this reprehensible act in the strongest possible terms.

“Judicial officers occupy a sacred position in our constitutional democracy and must be able to discharge their responsibilities without fear, intimidation, or threats to their lives and liberty.

“The increasing audacity of criminal elements in targeting institutions and officials critical to the administration of justice poses a serious danger to public confidence in our justice system and underscores the urgent need for more effective security measures across the country.”

The NBA called for enhanced security arrangements for judicial officers across Nigeria.

“Judges should not be left vulnerable to criminal attacks while carrying out the solemn constitutional duty of dispensing justice. Protecting members of the Bench is indispensable to preserving the independence, integrity, and effectiveness of the judiciary,” the statement added.

Also, the Africa Judges and Jurists Forum (AJJF) condemned the abduction in a statement by its Chairperson, Justice Professor Oagile Bethuel Key Dingake.

The continental body described the incident as an attack on the fundamental values underpinning constitutional democracy.

Dingake said, “An attack on a serving judicial officer is a matter of the utmost gravity. Regardless of the motive behind this incident, the abduction of a judge strikes at values that lie at the heart of every constitutional democracy.”

He said the administration of justice depended on judges being able to perform their constitutional duties free from fear, intimidation, coercion or violence.

“The safety and security of judicial officers are therefore indispensable to preserving judicial independence, maintaining public confidence in the justice system, and upholding the rule of law,” he added.

Kebbi State has witnessed bandit attacks in recent years, although the violence has largely been concentrated in the southern and eastern parts of the state.

Most of the worst-hit areas border forests in Niger, Zamfara and parts of Sokoto states, which armed groups use as hideouts.

One of the most notable incidents occurred in November 2025 when gunmen attacked the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area, killed the vice principal and abducted 25 schoolgirls. The students were later rescued.

Although Bunza LGA has not been one of Kebbi’s banditry hotspots, the abduction of Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza represents a significant escalation in the state’s security situation. (Daily Trust)

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