‘My life in captivity’ – Justice Faruk Bunza

After nine days in captivity and subsequently regaining freedom, Weekend Trust tracked Justice Faruk Hassan Bunza to his residence at Unguwar Chaki quarters, Bunza, for an insight into his experience in the bush and more. Although he had to undergo medical checks after his release, the judge, who appeared to still be recuperating from the ordeal in the bush, opened his door to Weekend Trust correspondent.

Justice Bunza of the Kebbi State High Court was abducted from his residence in the early hours of Saturday, July 26, 2026, and he regained freedom on Monday, August 3, 2026, about nine days after.

Weekend Trust had earlier gathered from his relatives that the sum of N50 million was paid as ransom.

It was learnt that five-armed men stormed the judge’s residence at about 12 midnight, fired several shots into the air to scare residents, and whisked him away. No one was killed or injured during the operation, which lasted only a few minutes.

The following day, Sunday, July 27, the abductors contacted the family and demanded N200 million as ransom. After negotiations, the amount was reduced to N50 million. On Monday, August 3, it was gathered that the ransom was paid and the bandits abandoned Justice Bunza on top of a hill before deserting their camp.

Speaking with Weekend Trust correspondent, the judge said he was held about 49km from his hometown at Dutsen Bandan,on a hill behind the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) permanent orientation camp in Dakin Gari, Suru Local Government Area of Kebbi State.

A resident of Bunza, who pleaded anonymity, told Weekend Trust correspondent that Dutsen Bandan is a known bandits’ hideout and that, “People have been complaining about the movement of suspected bandits around the hill.”

The kidnap
In an interaction with Weekend Trust, Justice Bunza said, “When the five-armed men stormed my residence and asked me to follow them, I didn’t resist. We came out and moved east through a road adjacent to my house, passing behind other residences. From there we turned north toward a small irrigation site, Fadama. We trekked for a few meters, turned west and returned to the main road. We crossed it and headed to the hill on the western part of Bunza town.

“On getting to the hill, we moved south toward the Bunza-Kamba Road. We crossed the road and continued trekking. After trekking for about 25km barefooted, we arrived at Tungar Bandan junction where they parked their motorcycles to avoid detection. From there we rode for about 24km before arriving at Dutsen Bandan, their main camp in Dakin Gari, headquarters of Suru LGA. In all, I was kept about 49km away from my family for nine days. I suspect my abductors had been monitoring me for a long time. They have informants who gave them details about me.”

Life in captivity
At the camp, Justice Bunza said there were not more than 20 bandits. “I was asked to climb the hill. I had trekked 25km barefooted, so it was difficult, but they didn’t care. On top of the hill, I met two other Fulani men who had also been kidnapped. Five-armed bandits guarded us while the rest stayed with their families down the hill.

“The next day, Sunday, they brought two photographs — mine and that of the chairman of Bugudu LGA in Zamfara State, Nura Umar Abdullahi. They asked if it was me and said they were ordered to kidnap both of us, but they didn’t mention who gave the order.

“They also showed me a newspaper report about my abduction. They said they heard President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had directed that N200m be paid for my release, but someone stopped it. That shows they monitor news and social media.”

Justice Bunza further observed that the bandits live normal lives with their wives and children at their camps, noting that “At the Dutsen Bandan camp, I observed that the bandits sleep, cook and interact with their families there just as we do in our houses.

“Unfortunately, the bandits do not observe the five daily prayers. When it was time for prayer, I prayed alone. I performed dry ablution, Tayammum, and observed my prayers. However, I could hear them reciting the Holy Qur’an every day. I could hear the five bandits guarding us reciting the Qur’an daily, but they did not pray at all,” he said.

He recalled that the bandits at the Dutsen Bandan camp were not many. The bandits were not more than 20 at the camp. So, the government can easily crush them. They rely on informants who bring them information from town.

“Most of these informants are young children of bandits. From my observation, roles among the bandits depend on age. While the younger ones serve as informants and errand boys, the adults are the foot soldiers. They carry arms and actively participate in operations.

“Though the bandits were armed, they were always fearful and on high alert. They warned us kidnap victims to remain quiet and calm. There was a day they warned me to stop coughing. They were very scared because they thought I was coughing to alert people to our location.

“At night, they would hide a few meters away from us and remain vigilant. They were very conscious of movements around them,” he added.

My abductors were friendly, fed me twice daily
However, the judge said his abductors did not torture him. “They were friendly throughout the nine days. They never humiliated me.

“The only things that troubled me were climbing the hill and the long trek. My face was covered anytime I ate so I wouldn’t see them. I was asked what food I wanted and I chose tuwon shinkafa or semo with okra soup. They fed me twice daily with bottled water and Maltina.

“Whenever they brought me food, they would tell me to eat to my satisfaction. And anytime I didn’t finish, they would say I shouldn’t be shy to eat it all because it was meant for me.

“However, the two Fulani men were not given any food. Whenever they asked for drinking water, they were given dirty water from the stream. They were always told that only I would get proper meals and clean drinking water.”

According to the judge, two reasons informed his abduction, “One, as a judge I handle high-profile criminal cases including banditry and kidnapping. For that reason alone, the bandits might have targeted me. Two, they are money mongers looking for rich people. I was told they were informed I am one of the richest people in Bunza with five cars, several houses and farmlands. So, I think these are the main reasons.”

Justice Bunza told Weekend Trust that during conversations with his abductors, they told him they were informed that he was a rich man with “plenty of money and assets, including landed properties.”

“Based on my interaction with them, I fully understood that my abduction was purely for ransom. My abductors were just money mongers. They had no intention to kill me. Their target was to collect money,” he said.

“Although my captors were friendly, my face remained covered throughout my stay in captivity. Whenever it was time to eat, they would hide behind me and ask me to uncover my face so I wouldn’t see them. After I finished eating, they would ask me to cover my face again before coming out of their hideout.

Justice Bunza lamented the lack of security for judicial officers especially at their residences, recalling that “When I was a magistrate and chief magistrate, I had permanent security at my house. Now I don’t. Security is on a shift basis. Despite the risk of our job, we are not provided with security at our residences. We are prone to attack. It is unfortunate and the government must do something urgently.”

“Though Allah is our ultimate protector, it is good if the government can provide quarters for judges with adequate security. Every judge should have security at his residence, at least at night. We are targets because we convict bandits in the courts. Due to the nature of our job, we are also targets to the bandits. In fact, we are at high risk of attack by the terrorists.”

How I regained freedom
Justice Bunza said the two Fulani captives escaped on Saturday, August 1, and that on Monday, August 3, after collecting the N50 million ransom, most of the bandits left the camp, leaving two persons to guard him.

“I overheard them arguing. One said the other should shoot me, but he didn’t, probably to avoid attracting security operatives or passersby. They eventually abandoned me and ran away.

“Around 5-6pm, I realized that I was alone. I then removed the covering from my face and came down from the hill. I trekked until I got to a village at night but feared it might be occupied by bandits, so I hid until morning.

“In the morning, I continued trekking until I got to Kwanar Bandan and met some villagers. I asked for a commercial motorcyclist that will take me to Bunza. I got one and he asked for N8,000 to take me to Bunza. Then a tinted commercial Toyota Corolla with three passengers arrived. The driver agreed to take me for N2,000.

“However, at Dakingari junction I bought firewood for N3,000. I did that in order to convince the driver to take me directly to my house. We finally agreed on N3,000. When I got home, relatives and other sympathizers were outside. Because of the tinted glass, no one recognized me until I came out from the car. Then people started jubilating and sympathizers continued to troop to my house.”

When asked if his recent abduction would affect his commitment to work, Justice Bunza said: “Never. I swear to Almighty Allah, nothing on this earth can change my attitude and commitment to my duties as a judge. Remember, I am under oath. So, nothing can make me change my mind toward discharging my responsibilities as a judge.

“In fact, this experience will only motivate me to double my commitment to discharging my duties. I can assure you, Wallahi, nothing on this earth can make me deviate from what is right. I have learnt many lessons from this incident and I will continue to keep many things to myself.”

The High Court judge told Weekend Trust that prayers from family, friends and well-wishers played a significant role in his release.

“Relatives, friends and well-wishers from within Bunza, Kebbi State and even beyond prayed for me. People prayed fervently for my release and, by God’s infinite mercy, He answered our prayers.

“Here I am today a free man. I’m hale and hearty; nothing worries me. While in captivity, I always told myself that my captors were ignorant about Almighty Allah. If they knew God, they wouldn’t involve themselves in this evil,” he said.

How to end banditry, kidnapping
“As I said earlier, the bandits at the camp where I was kept are not many. They could be easily crushed if our security operatives are allowed to confront them squarely.

“Secondly, from my observation, poverty and illiteracy are the main factors driving these terrorists into banditry and kidnapping. If the government can provide adequate job opportunities for citizens and create a conducive environment for educating the young generation; both Islamic and Western education, that will greatly help in addressing the situation.

“The government should invest heavily in education; I mean both Islamic and western education. Teachers and other stakeholders should be equipped to impart knowledge on the people. The issue of unemployment must also be addressed. Citizens should be provided with adequate job opportunities so that money can circulate among the majority, not just among the few as it is now.

“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.

• This report was originally published in WEEKEND TRUST

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