The family of kidnapped Kebbi State High Court judge Justice Faruk Hassan Bunza has confirmed paying N50 million ransom — negotiated down from an initial N200 million demand — to secure his release after eight days in bandit captivity, with the judge returned home in a commercial firewood vehicle.
Eight days in captivity. A forest ransom drop. Malt drinks first — then the money.
The family of Kebbi State High Court judge Justice Faruk Hassan Bunza has confirmed paying N50 million to armed bandits to secure his release, following his abduction from his residence on Zogirma Road in Bunza Local Government Area on July 26, 2026.
As reported by Daily Trust, the kidnappers initially demanded N200 million but accepted N50 million after days of tense negotiation while the judge remained in captivity. The handover took place at a location deep inside a forest, more than 70 kilometres from Birnin Kebbi.
In one of the more bizarre details of the ordeal, the kidnappers made an unusual demand just before collecting the money. “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,” a family member revealed.
The judge was subsequently returned home between 6 and 7 a.m. on Monday, arriving in a commercial vehicle carrying firewood, which dropped him directly in front of his house. Family members described him as “hale and hearty” with no visible physical injuries.
The abduction itself was brazen. Armed men followed the judge as he returned from a trip to Sokoto, confronted him in his compound, fired shots indiscriminately and took him away on motorcycles after he unsuccessfully attempted to deny his identity. His brother Malam Shehu Yusuf Bunza earlier recounted how the judge told the gunmen there were married women inside the house when asked to take them to his rooms.
The Kebbi State Police Command, which said it maintains a firm stance against ransom payment, confirmed the judge’s release and said investigations to track down the perpetrators are ongoing.
It was the second abduction of a serving Nigerian judge in recent times, following the June 2025 kidnapping of Bayelsa State High Court judge Ebiyerin Umokoro.
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