The family of abducted Kebbi State High Court Judge, Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza, has confirmed that ₦50 million was paid as ransom to secure his release from captivity.
Justice Bunza was abducted in the early hours of Sunday, July 26, when heavily armed bandits stormed his residence in Bunza Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
He regained his freedom on Monday after spending eight days in captivity.
His release was confirmed by the Kebbi State Police Command, his family and the state Ministry of Justice, reports Daily Trust.
The police spokesperson in the state, Bashir Usman, said in a statement that the judge was released earlier on Monday and had safely reunited with his family.
“With the judge now released, the police and other security agencies have intensified investigative efforts to track down the perpetrators and bring them to justice,” the statement said.
The command also appreciated members of the public and partner security agencies for their support during the operation, while urging residents to continue providing confidential and actionable information that could assist in apprehending the kidnappers.
However, a member of Justice Bunza’s family, who spoke to Daily Trust on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly on the matter, confirmed that ₦50 million was paid to the abductors.
He said the judge was receiving medical and emotional attention at his residence in Bunza.
According to the family member, the kidnappers initially demanded ₦200 million but later agreed to accept ₦50 million following days of negotiations throughout the period the judge was held captive.
“We are still attending to him at home since his release on Monday. As you know, he needs time to recover from the trauma he went through.
“We will address the media when he has fully recovered, and we are ready to speak. We will then share details of his ordeal in the hands of his abductors. As for whether a ransom was paid, I can confirm that ₦50 million was paid,” the source said.
The source expressed appreciation to the Kebbi State Government, security agencies, the state judiciary and residents for their support, prayers and concern throughout the judge’s abduction.
Another family member, who spoke to Hausa online platform DCL Hausa, said the abductors, believed to be about five in number, collected the ransom on Friday after directing the family to a location deep inside a forest, more than 70 kilometres from Birnin Kebbi.
The relative said the kidnappers made an unusual request shortly before the ransom was delivered.
“While we were on our way to deliver the money, they called and asked us to bring five bottles of malt drinks and five bottles of Dudu drinks. They opened the drinks and consumed them in our presence before collecting the ransom,” the source said.
The family said it received information about the judge’s release between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. on Monday.
“We were informed of his release around 6 to 7 a.m. He was brought home in a commercial vehicle conveying firewood and dropped in front of the house,” the family member said.
According to the source, the judge appeared to be in good health and showed no visible signs of physical distress after regaining his freedom.
“He is hale and hearty. There is nothing unusual about his physical appearance,” the source added.
However, the police command said the kidnappers had demanded ransom but insisted that it remained opposed to the payment of ransom.
“Although the kidnappers made a ransom demand, the command maintains its firm stance against ransom payment,” the police said.
How Justice Bunza Was Kidnapped
Gunmen stormed the judge’s residence on Zogirma Road in Bunza LGA shortly after he returned from a trip to Sokoto on July 26.
No one else in the house was injured, although the attackers reportedly fired several shots before abducting the judge.
A brother of the abducted judge, Malam Shehu Yusuf Bunza, had earlier narrated to Daily Trust how the incident occurred.
Shehu said about seven armed men followed the judge as he returned from Sokoto and confronted him as he drove into his compound.
According to him, the attackers asked if he was Justice Faruku, but the judge denied his identity and told them that Faruku had travelled to Birnin Kebbi.
The attackers, however, insisted that they knew he was the person they were looking for.
When the judge continued speaking to them in Hausa, the gunmen reportedly ordered him to keep quiet before opening fire.
They allegedly asked him to take them to his rooms, but he refused, saying married women were inside.
The abductors also reportedly demanded to see one of his sons, Abdullahi, but the judge told them the boy had gone out.
The gunmen subsequently took the judge away on motorcycles.
The abduction sparked outrage across the state and drew condemnation from the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), which described the incident as a grave assault on the judiciary, the rule of law and Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.
The NBA, in a statement by its outgoing President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, said the association “unequivocally condemns this reprehensible act in the strongest possible terms.”
The association said judicial officers occupy a critical position in Nigeria’s constitutional democracy and must be able to discharge their duties without fear, intimidation or threats to their lives and liberty.
It warned that the increasing targeting of judicial officers and institutions by criminal elements posed a serious threat to public confidence in the justice system and underscored the urgent need for stronger security measures across the country.
The NBA called for enhanced security arrangements for judicial officers nationwide, stressing that protecting members of the Bench was indispensable to preserving judicial independence, integrity and effectiveness.
The Africa Judges and Jurists Forum (AJJF) also condemned the abduction in a statement by its Chairperson, Justice Professor Oagile Bethuel Key Dingake.
The continental body described the incident as an attack on the fundamental values underpinning constitutional democracy.
Dingake said the abduction of a serving judicial officer was a matter of “the utmost gravity,” stressing that judges must be able to perform their constitutional duties free from fear, intimidation, coercion or violence.
He added that the safety and security of judicial officers were indispensable to preserving judicial independence, maintaining public confidence in the justice system and upholding the rule of law.
Kebbi State has witnessed several bandit attacks in recent years, although much of the violence has been concentrated in the southern and eastern parts of the state.
Several of the worst-hit areas border forests in Niger, Zamfara and parts of Sokoto states, which armed groups reportedly use as hideouts.
In November 2025, gunmen attacked the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area, killing the vice principal and abducting 25 schoolgirls. The students were later rescued.
Although Bunza LGA has not traditionally been among Kebbi’s major banditry hotspots, the abduction of Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza has raised fresh concerns over the expanding reach of criminal groups and the growing vulnerability of judicial officers in Nigeria.
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