A judge of the Upper Customary Court, Sabon Tasha Division in Kaduna state, Janet Galadima, along with her four children have been kidnapped by bandits.
Confirming the incident, the spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command, Mansir Hassan, said the judge and her four children were kidnapped from their residence in the Mahuta area of Chikun local government, in the outskirts of Kaduna metropolis on June, 24, 2024.
He said that the bandits later killed the woman’s 14-year-old eldest son, Victor Galadima.
At the same time, his corpse was found by police operatives from the Sabon Tasha Division at Ungwan Bayero of Dutse village, near the toll gate, along the Kaduna- Abuja Highway on Tuesday, July 2, 2024.
The police spokesman also explained that the Command’s anti-kidnapping squad, in collaboration with other sister security agencies, is working tirelessly to rescue the abducted judge and remaining three children and also apprehend the bandits.
Commenting on the incident, a human rights activist and the chief executive officer of the House of Justice, Gloria Ballason, said that the bandits killed the woman’s 14-year-old eldest after the family could not raise the ransom they demanded, while the judge and remaining three children are still in their custody.
She noted that the abduction of the judge and her children is contrary to Article 7 of the United Nations Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary, and Sections 33 and 14(2)b of the 1999 Constitution that guarantees the safety of the judge, describing the murder of woman’s the 14-year-old son as “horrible and blood-curdling”.
The human rights lawyer therefore called on the security agencies and the Kaduna State government, to ensure the speedy rescue of the abducted judge and her three children.
Also on its part, the Kaduna State chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association had lent its voice in condemning the abduction of the judge, her children, and the gruesome murder of her son by the bandits.
In a statement by the NMA Public Relations Officer, Shuaibu Joga, described as outrageous, demand for the sum of N300m, to free the abducted judge and her three children by the bandits.
He disclosed that security agencies have been informed about the incident while negotiations with the kidnappers are ongoing.