Gunmen suspected to be bandits have abducted a Kebbi State High Court judge, Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza, in a midnight raid on his residence in Bunza Local Government Area of the state.

The judge was reportedly whisked away in the early hours of Sunday after armed assailants stormed his home along Zogirma Road shortly after he returned from a trip to Sokoto State.

According to sources, the attack occurred at about midnight, with the gunmen firing sporadically before abducting the judge.

“He had just returned from Sokoto when the gunmen stormed his residence and took him away,” a source said.

The source noted that although the attackers fired several gunshots during the operation, no member of the judge’s household was injured.

“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 of the Kebbi State Police Command, SP Bashir Usman, said the command had launched an intensive rescue operation.

“I can confirm that Hon. Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza was abducted from his residence in Bunza around midnight,” Usman said.

He disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, CP Umar Muhammad Hadejia, immediately deployed tactical and intelligence teams to track down the kidnappers and secure the judge’s release.

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

A senior official of the Kebbi State High Court, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly on the matter, described the abduction as a devastating blow to the state’s judiciary.

“I am not authorized to speak formally, but this is a painful moment for us. To hear that one of our judge 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 efforts to secure the judge’s immediate release.

As of the time of filing this report, no group had claimed responsibility for the abduction, while security operatives continued search-and-rescue operations across suspected hideouts.

The Enugu State Government has commenced a Continuous Survey Revalidation and Digitisation Exercise as part of the ongoing Survey Records Digitisation Programme, aimed at establishing a fully digital, transparent and verifiable land administration system in the state.

The exercise, according to the government, is a key component of the digital transformation of the state’s land and survey records system and is designed to protect property rights, eliminate disputes arising from lost or defective records, and strengthen public confidence in land administration.

It also forms part of the comprehensive digital transformation agenda of the Governor Peter Mbah administration.

The government, in a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said the exercise was intended to ensure that land records in the state are properly verified, digitally captured and geographically mapped.

The government said the objective was to establish “a fully digital, transparent, and verifiable land administration framework that protects property rights, eliminates disputes arising from lost or defective records, and strengthens public confidence in land administration.”

The statement said the participation of all landowners, estate developers, surveyors and property owners was required to ensure the accuracy and completion of the process.

According to the government, the affected persons are required to submit their Survey Plans, Layout Approvals and related land documents for verification and revalidation, digital identity creation and geospatial mapping, as well as the issuance of Digital Land Identity Cards.

To make the exercise faster, easier and more accessible, the government has designated six revalidation centres across the state.

The centres are the Office of the Surveyor General, 5/27 Colliery Avenue, GRA, Enugu; Enugu State Housing Development Corporation (ESHDC) Headquarters, No. 21 Kingsway Road, GRA, Enugu; and the Enugu Geographic Information System (ENGIS) Headquarters, 4 Chisimdi Ukpata Close, Ebeano Estate, Enugu.

Others are the Enugu State Ministry of Housing, State Secretariat, Enugu; Nsukka Local Government Area Secretariat, Nsukka; and Enugu East Local Government Area Secretariat, Nkwo Nike.

The government strongly advised all landowners to visit any of the designated centres and complete the process promptly, stressing that their participation was essential to the success of the exercise and the protection of their property interests.

“Full participation is essential for the success of this exercise and the protection of every genuine landowner’s interest,” the government said.

The exercise is expected to further strengthen the integrity of Enugu State’s land administration system by ensuring that survey records are properly verified, digitally captured, geographically mapped and readily verifiable, while reducing the risks associated with lost, defective or disputed land records.

Suspected terrorists have abducted the Chairman of Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State, Hon. Nura Umar Bungudu, after launching a deadly night attack on his residence that left four security operatives dead.

The attackers reportedly stormed Bungudu town on Thursday night and headed straight to the council chairman’s residence in the Zango area, less than 20 kilometres from the state capital, Gusau.

During the attack, the gunmen allegedly overpowered the security personnel guarding the residence, killing two police officers and two vigilantes before abducting the council chairman and members of his family.

Efforts by security operatives to repel the attackers were unsuccessful as the assailants, said to be heavily armed, overran the security team and escaped with the chairman.

A resident of the community, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the attack was swift and well coordinated, leaving little room for the security personnel to mount an effective defence.

According to the source, two police officers and two vigilantes, including a volunteer vigilante who had been actively involved in defending the community against bandit attacks, lost their lives during the exchange of gunfire.

The resident said the security personnel fought bravely but were overwhelmed by the superior firepower of the attackers.

“The bandits came into the town determined to carry out their mission. The chairman’s security team resisted, but they were outgunned,” the source said.

The incident is the latest in a series of violent attacks that have continued to plague communities across Zamfara State despite ongoing security operations.

The source disclosed that the bandits initially abducted the council chairman, his wife and their children during the attack.

However, security operatives who pursued the fleeing gunmen reportedly succeeded in rescuing four or five of the children before the attackers escaped into the surrounding bush.

Despite the rescue effort, the chairman was taken away by the gunmen, while the fate of his wife could not be independently confirmed at the time of filing this report.

According to the resident, reinforcement teams were mobilised shortly after the attack, but they arrived after the assailants had already fled the area.

“The security personnel tried their best, but by the time reinforcements got there, the bandits had already executed their plan and escaped,” he said.