Justice Faruk Hassan Bunza of the Kebbi State High Court has detailed his abduction and escape after eight days in captivity, describing a forced march to a bandit camp, a ransom payment, and a daring flight to freedom.
The account was shared on Tuesday by conflict reporter Bakastine, who covers the North-West region, in a post on X. According to the report, five armed men abducted the judge from his residence in Bunza Local Government Area on July 26. They forced him to trek approximately 25 kilometres barefoot to the Dutsen Bandan camp.
At the camp, Bunza said he encountered two other kidnapped men, both Fulani. The following day, his captors showed him photographs of himself and Nura Umar Abdullahi, the chairman of Bungudu Local Government Area in Zamfara State. The bandits told him they had been instructed to abduct both men but did not reveal who had given the order.
The judge also recounted that the bandits displayed newspaper reports about his kidnapping and claimed awareness that N200 million had been earmarked for his release. He estimated that no fewer than 20 bandits operated from the camp, relying on informants in surrounding communities and maintaining contact with their families. Despite being heavily armed, the group remained constantly alert; Bunza said they once warned him against coughing for fear of drawing attention to their location.
Media Talk Africa gathered that Bunza’s family eventually paid N50 million to secure his release. After the payment, most of the bandits departed, leaving two men to guard him. The judge said he later overheard the two guards arguing, with one suggesting he should be killed. Around 5 p.m., he realised he had been left alone. He removed the covering over his face and escaped on foot, eventually reaching a village where he boarded a commercial motorcycle.
Bunza regained his freedom on August 3. His release was confirmed by the Kebbi State Police Command, his family, and the state Ministry of Justice.
Reflecting on the ordeal, the judge said it would not deter him from his judicial duties. “My kidnapping can never deter me from my work. I swear to Almighty Allah, nothing on this earth can change my attitude to work. It will motivate me to double my effort,” he said.
