Suspected bandits in Kaduna State have demanded a N300 million ransom after kidnapping a female judge and her four children, and killing her eldest son.
The incident occurred on June 23, when the judge and her sons were abducted from their residence in the Mahuta area of Kaduna by about 15 armed men. The attack took place at night while her husband, Dr. Musa Gimba Dutse, a medical doctor, was away on duty.
Human rights lawyer and Chief Executive Officer of the House of Justice, Gloria Ballason, confirmed on Wednesday that the kidnappers threatened to kill the remaining sons if the ransom was not paid. The abductors shot and killed Victor Gimba, the judge’s 14-year-old eldest son, on July 2 when the family could not meet the ransom demand.
Ballason called for urgent action from the government, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and security agencies to rescue the judge and her children, urging for their protection.
The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Kaduna chapter, also condemned the incident. Public Relations Officer Dr. Shuaibu Joga expressed shock over the killing of Victor Gimba and called for an emergency SEC meeting and press conference to urge authorities to expedite the release of the captives and other kidnapped doctors.
Dr. Joga revealed that while negotiations with the kidnappers were ongoing, they received the devastating news of the boy’s death. He called for calm among members and requested that they stay safe while the necessary security measures are taken to end the violence.
As of the time of this report, there was no official statement from the state government or the police command. Calls to the Kaduna Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Mansir Hassan, were not answered, and text messages went unanswered.
