NBA and African judges condemn the abduction of a Kebbi judge and demand his immediate, unconditional release and stronger security.
Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and Africa Judges and Jurists Forum (AJJF) have condemned the abduction of Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza of the Kebbi State High Court, describing the incident as a grave assault on the judiciary, the rule of law, and Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.
Bunza was, reportedly, abducted by suspected armed bandits from his residence in Bunza Local Government Area of Kebbi State during the early hours of July 26, 2026.
Reacting to the incident in separate statements issued on Monday, NBA and AJJF called on Nigerian security agencies to deploy every lawful and available resource to ensure the judge’s immediate and unconditional release.
They urged the authorities to strengthen security for judicial officers across the country.
NBA, in a statement signed by its President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, described the kidnapping as “a direct attack on the Nigerian judiciary, the administration of justice, and the rule of law”.
According to the association, judicial officers occupy a sacred position in Nigeria’s constitutional democracy and must be able to discharge their responsibilities without fear, intimidation, or threats to their lives and liberty.
NBA said, “The increasing audacity of criminal elements in targeting institutions and officials critical to the administration of justice poses a serious danger to public confidence in our justice system and underscores the urgent need for more effective security measures across the country.”
The association called on the Inspector-General of Police, Director-General of Department of State Services (DSS), National Security Adviser, and other relevant security agencies to deploy every available human and technological resource to secure Bunza’s safe release.
It also urged the Kebbi State government to work closely with federal security agencies to ensure that no effort was spared in rescuing the judge unharmed and bringing those responsible for the abduction to justice.
The NBA statement added, “Protecting members of the Bench is indispensable to preserving the independence, integrity and effectiveness of the judiciary.”
Similarly, AJJF expressed concern over the abduction and conveyed its solidarity with Bunza, his family, the National Judicial Council, the Nigerian judiciary, and the people of Nigeria.
In a statement by its Chairperson, Justice Professor Oagile Bethuel Key Dingake, a Judge of the Supreme and National Courts of Papua New Guinea and the Residual Special Court of Sierra Leone, the continental body described the incident as an attack on the fundamental values underpinning constitutional democracy.
Dingake stated, “An attack on a serving judicial officer is a matter of the utmost gravity. Regardless of the motive behind this incident, the abduction of a judge strikes at values that lie at the heart of every constitutional democracy.”
He said the administration of justice depended on judges being able to perform their constitutional duties free from fear, intimidation, coercion or violence.
“The safety and security of judicial officers are therefore indispensable to preserving judicial independence, maintaining public confidence in the justice system, and upholding the rule of law,” he added.
