Justice Faruk Hassan Bunza of the Kebbi State High Court has recounted his nine-day ordeal in the hands of armed kidnappers, revealing that he trekked about 25 kilometres barefoot before reaching the gang’s hideout, located approximately 49 kilometres from his home.
Bunza, who was abducted from his residence in the early hours of July 26 and regained his freedom on August 3, gave the account while speaking at his residence in Unguwar Chaki quarters, Bunza, where he was recuperating after undergoing medical checks following his release.
The judge said five armed men stormed his residence around midnight, firing several shots into the air to frighten residents before ordering him to follow them.
“When the five armed men stormed my residence and asked me to follow them, I didn’t resist,” he said.
According to Bunza, the abductors initially moved east through a road beside his house before turning north towards a small irrigation area known as Fadama. They later returned to the main road, crossed it and headed towards a hill west of Bunza town.
From there, the group moved south towards the Bunza-Kamba Road before crossing the road and continuing on foot.
Bunza said he trekked approximately 25 kilometres barefoot before reaching Tungar Bandan junction, where the kidnappers parked their motorcycles to avoid detection. He said they subsequently travelled another 24 kilometres by motorcycle before arriving at Dutsen Bandan, which he identified as the gang’s main camp in Dakin Gari, headquarters of Suru Local Government Area.
“In all, I was kept about 49km away from my family for nine days,” he said.
Kidnappers demanded ₦200m ransom
The judge said the kidnappers contacted his family the day after his abduction and initially demanded ₦200 million for his release.
Following negotiations, the ransom was reportedly reduced to ₦50 million, which his relatives said was eventually paid on August 3.
Bunza said he was abandoned on a hill after most of the kidnappers left their camp following the payment.
He said two other kidnapped men were also being held at the camp when he arrived, while about five armed men guarded the area.
According to him, fewer than 20 bandits operated from the camp, with some living there with their families.
“The bandits were not more than 20 at the camp. So the government can easily crush them,” he said.
However, Bunza acknowledged that the presence of families at the camp could complicate any military or security operation against the hideout.
He said the camp appeared to operate like a settlement, with the bandits cooking, sleeping and interacting with their families.
Judge suspects informants monitored him
Bunza said he suspected that the kidnappers had monitored him for an extended period and had access to informants who provided information about his movements and background.
He said the kidnappers showed him two photographs the day after his arrival at the camp. One was his photograph, while the other belonged to Nura Umar Abdullahi, chairman of Bugudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
According to the judge, the kidnappers claimed they had been instructed to abduct both men but did not disclose who allegedly issued the order.
“They also showed me a newspaper report about my abduction,” Bunza said.
He added that the kidnappers told him they had heard that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had directed that ₦200 million be paid for his release, but that someone had stopped the payment.
The development, according to Bunza, suggested that the gang closely monitored media reports and social media discussions surrounding his abduction and ransom negotiations.
‘They were money mongers’
The judge said his captors appeared primarily interested in money and believed he was wealthy.
He said they told him they had been informed that he was among the richest people in Bunza and allegedly owned several cars, houses, farmlands and other properties.
Bunza also identified his judicial duties as another possible reason for his selection, noting that he handled high-profile criminal cases involving banditry and kidnapping.
“Based on my interaction with them, I fully understood that my abduction was purely for ransom,” he said.
“My abductors were just money mongers. They had no intention to kill me. Their target was to collect money.”
The judge said he was not physically maltreated during the nine days he spent in captivity.
He was given food twice daily, bottled water and Maltina. He said he requested tuwon shinkafa or semo with okra soup and was encouraged to eat as much as he wanted.
However, he said the two other captives were treated differently.
“They were not given any food,” he said. “Whenever they asked for drinking water, they were given dirty water from the stream.”
Bunza said the difference in treatment appeared to be linked to the kidnappers’ assessment of his ability to attract a substantial ransom.
He said his face was covered whenever food was brought to him to prevent him from seeing his captors.
The judge also recalled that the armed men were constantly nervous and vigilant, at one point warning him not to cough because they feared the sound could alert security personnel or people nearby.
“At night, they would hide a few metres away from us and remain vigilant,” he said.
Captives escaped, judge abandoned
Bunza said the two other captives escaped from the camp on August 1.
Two days later, after the ransom had reportedly been collected, most of the kidnappers left the camp, leaving two men behind to guard him.
He said he overheard the two men arguing, with one allegedly suggesting that the other should shoot him.
However, the man did not act on the suggestion, which Bunza believed could have been because gunfire might attract security operatives or nearby residents.
The two men eventually abandoned him.
“At around 5 to 6pm, I realised that I was alone. I then removed the covering from my face and came down from the hill,” he said.
Bunza said he trekked until nightfall and reached a village but became concerned that it might also be occupied by bandits. He consequently hid until morning.
The following day, he continued walking until he reached Kwanar Bandan, where he encountered villagers and sought a commercial motorcycle to take him home.
He said one motorcyclist demanded ₦8,000, but he eventually secured transportation in a tinted Toyota Corolla carrying three passengers for ₦2,000.
At Dakingari junction, he bought firewood for ₦3,000, saying the purchase helped persuade the driver to take him directly to his home.
When he eventually arrived, relatives and sympathisers gathered outside did not immediately recognise him because of the vehicle’s tinted windows.
“When I came out from the car, people started jubilating,” he said.
Judge demands security for judicial officers
Bunza said his experience exposed what he described as a serious security vulnerability affecting judicial officers, particularly those handling sensitive criminal cases.
He recalled that he previously enjoyed permanent security at his residence while serving as a magistrate and chief magistrate but no longer had the same level of protection.
“Despite the risk of our job, we are not provided with security at our residences. We are prone to attack,” he said.
The judge called for government-provided residential quarters for judges, with adequate security, and urged authorities to ensure that judges have protection at their homes, particularly at night.
“Every judge should have security at his residence, at least at night,” he said.
He argued that judges handling banditry and terrorism cases are particularly vulnerable because their decisions can directly affect criminal groups.
Despite the ordeal, Bunza said the incident would not weaken his commitment to his judicial responsibilities.
“Nothing on this earth can change my attitude and commitment to my duties as a judge,” he said.
He described the experience as a lesson that would strengthen his resolve to continue discharging his responsibilities.
Calls for action against poverty, illiteracy
Bunza attributed his survival and eventual release to the prayers of his relatives, friends and well-wishers.
He also called for stronger efforts to address the underlying conditions that enable banditry and kidnapping to thrive, identifying poverty, unemployment and illiteracy among the factors pushing young people into criminal activities.
He advocated greater investment in both Islamic and Western education, increased employment opportunities and measures that would promote wider economic inclusion.
“If government tackles the problems of poverty, unemployment and education, the menace of banditry and kidnapping will be drastically reduced, if not completely wiped out,” he said.
His account has also raised security questions surrounding the alleged bandit camp, the network of informants he described, the identity of whoever may have ordered his abduction and that of another public official, and the gang’s apparent ability to monitor reports about his kidnapping and ransom negotiations.
For the judiciary, however, Bunza said the immediate lesson from his ordeal was the need for better protection for judges handling sensitive criminal cases.
His nine-day captivity has consequently drawn attention not only to his personal ordeal but also to the organisation of kidnapping networks, their intelligence-gathering methods and the security vulnerabilities confronting judicial officers in communities affected by banditry.
