Kidnappers demand N200m ransom for abducted Kebbi high court judge

Kidnappers holding a Kebbi State High Court judge, Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza, have demanded a ransom of N200 million for his release, as security operatives intensify efforts to secure his freedom.

The Kebbi State Commissioner of Police, Umar Muhammad Hadejia, disclosed the development while briefing journalists on Monday in Birnin Kebbi.

He said the police received intelligence on the ransom demand following a swift response to the judge’s abduction, which occurred in the early hours of Sunday at his residence along Zogirma Road in Bunza.

According to Hadejia, a combined team of police operatives has been deployed to comb suspected escape routes used by the kidnappers in a bid to rescue the judge unharmed and apprehend those responsible.

He added that multiple checkpoints had been mounted along strategic routes believed to have been used by the abductors to prevent their escape.

The police commissioner expressed confidence that the ongoing operation would lead to the safe rescue of the judge and the arrest of the kidnappers.

Hadejia also confirmed the killing of a suspected kidnapper, Abdulaziz Dogo, and the arrest of another suspect, Ibrahim Abdulwahab, both residents of Ilesha in Kwara State, in connection with the abduction of a former Kebbi State Deputy Speaker, Muhammad Samaila Bagudo, on October 31, 2025.

He advised residents, particularly government officials, to avoid travelling late at night, warning that such movements expose them to attacks by bandits and kidnappers.

The commissioner noted that the judge’s family informed the police that he frequently travelled at night despite repeated warnings.

He added that the family also reported that the kidnappers had contacted a registrar of the High Court in Abuja regarding negotiations over the N200 million ransom.