Khadi Bala Muhammed, a judge of Sharia Court of Appeal narrowly escaped death on Sunday evening when he was shot by some gunmen along Okene-Lokoja road, Kogi State. His driver was unlucky, as the attackers took him away into the bush.

Khadi Muhammed was said to be on his way to Okene for Ajanah Basketball championship competition when he was attacked by the armed men. According to an eyewitness, the judge was attacked around Itakpe by the armed men who forced his car to stop and then shot him in one of his arms.

The source further disclosed that after shooting him, the gunmen robbed the judge of his belonging and then kidnapped his driver and escaped into the bush.

Other motorists traveling along the highway had to take cover to avoid being robbed or kidnapped by the gunmen.

It was also gathered that after the operation, the judge was taken to Okene general hospital for treatment before he was later brought back to Lokoja.

Meanwhile, some suspected bandits who abducted three persons on Sunday night in Jibia local government area of Katsina State have called the victim’s family demanding for N150 million ransom.

The bandits had attacked Unguwan Waliyi, a community within Jibia town, in Jibia local government area, where they killed one Usman Ibrahim and invaded the home of a businessman, Tasiu Wali.

The bandits abducted three members of Wali’s family, including his wife, Mrs. Asamau, her one-year-old baby girl, Husna, and a 20-year-old man, Abu Abu, whom sources say is a house help in Wali’s house.

The trio was later whisked away into neighbouring Rugu forest, an area notorious for being used as a hideout by bandits.

A source residing in the area, who pleaded to remain anonymous, said the bandits had called saying they had a reliable informant that had told them about the financial capacity of the family members.

“One of the bandits who called said they had a reliable informant who had sat and discussed with them days earlier about Wali’s financial capacity among other vital information, which was why the bandits asked for N150 million ransom. But the family pleaded that they were not buoyant enough, and proposed to give the bandits N4 million, an amount which the bandits rejected.”

At the time of filing this report, the spokesman for the police command, SP Gambo Isah, was yet to respond to an inquiry made over the issue. (The Guardian)

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