The Nigeria Police Force has launched a coordinated operation to rescue Kebbi State High Court Judge Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza, who was abducted by suspected bandits in Bunza Local Government Area.

Justice Bunza was reportedly kidnapped around midnight on Saturday, when armed men stormed his residence along Zogirma Road shortly after he returned from a trip to Sokoto State.

Kebbi State Police Public Relations Officer SP Bashir Usman confirmed the incident, saying the command responded immediately after receiving a distress report.

He said State Commissioner of Police CP Umar Muhammad Hadejia ordered the immediate deployment of tactical and intelligence operatives to secure the judge’s rescue.

“As we speak, our personnel are combing identified locations, including forest areas, to ensure that the judge is rescued alive and unharmed,” Usman said.

Judiciary Officials Meet Security Chiefs Over Judge’s Safety

Sources familiar with the incident said the attackers stormed the judge’s home shortly after his arrival from Sokoto, firing sporadically before taking him away.

No member of his family was injured in the attack.

A senior Kebbi State High Court official, speaking anonymously because he was not authorised to comment, described the abduction as a painful moment for the judiciary.

He said the court’s management had already met with heads of the state’s security agencies to strengthen efforts toward securing the judge’s release.

As of filing, no group had claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, and police said rescue operations were ongoing.

Matawalle Directs Troops to Intensify North-West Operations

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Defence Dr Bello Matawalle has directed all military formations fighting terrorism across the North-West to step up operations against armed groups.

Matawalle, a former Zamfara State governor, gave the directive in a Sunday statement issued by his media aide, Ahmed Dan-Wudil, while sympathising with victims of recent attacks in Zamfara’s Bungudu area.

He instructed Operation Fansan Yamma and military formations in Zamfara, Kebbi, Katsina, Sokoto and Kaduna states to use every lawful and necessary measure to dismantle terrorist networks.

The minister also called on traditional rulers and community leaders to support security agencies with credible, timely intelligence on people suspected of aiding terrorists.

In addition, he directed senior commanders in volatile areas to strengthen surveillance and step up patrols to identify and destroy terrorist hideouts before they can be used to launch attacks.

Matawalle commended security personnel for recent operations that led to the neutralisation of suspected terrorists in Gummi, Bukkuyum, Anka, Tsafe and Faskari, and called on troops to sustain pressure on armed groups until insecurity ends across affected regions.