By The Metro 
A judge of the Kebbi State High Court, Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza, has been abducted by suspected bandits after gunmen reportedly invaded his residence in Bunza Local Government Area of the state.
Daily Trust reports that the attackers struck around midnight on Sunday shortly after the judge returned from a trip to Sokoto.
A source familiar with the incident said the gunmen stormed Justice Bunza’s residence along Zogirma Road and whisked him away.
“He had just returned from Sokoto when the gunmen stormed his residence and took him away,” the source said.
The source added that no member of the household was injured during the attack, although the assailants fired sporadically before leaving with the judge.
“Immediately the incident occurred, we reported to the appropriate authorities, including the leadership of the High Court,” the source added.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Kebbi State Police Command, SP Bashir Usman, said Justice Bunza was abducted from his residence around midnight.
“I can confirm that Hon. Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza was abducted from his residence in Bunza around midnight,” he said.
Usman disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, CP Umar Muhammad Hadejia, had immediately deployed tactical and intelligence operatives following the report of the abduction.
“As we speak, our personnel are combing identified locations, including forest areas, to ensure that the judge is rescued alive and unharmed,” the police spokesperson said.
A senior official of the Kebbi State High Court, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, also 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 judges was abducted at his residence is very disturbing,” the official said.
He added that the management of the High Court had already met with heads of security agencies in the state to strategise on securing Justice Bunza’s immediate release.
As of the time of filing this report, no group had claimed responsibility for the judge’s abduction.