Janet Gimba, a judge of the Upper Customary Court in Kaduna State, who was kidnapped by bandits along with her four children, has been released. However, three of her children are still being held captive.
Her husband, Musa Gimba, confirmed her release but noted that their children were not freed. He revealed that the kidnappers are demanding a ransom of N150 million within three days, threatening to kill the children if the money is not paid.
The female judge, attached to the Upper Customary Court, Sabon Tasha Division, was abducted with her children on June 24, 2024, at their home in Mahuta, Chikun Local Government Area, near Kaduna metropolis.
According to Mansir Hassan, the spokesman for the Kaduna State Police Command, the bandits killed the judge’s 14-year-old eldest son, Victor Gimba. His body was found by police operatives at Sabon Tasha Division, Ungwan Bayero of Dutse village, near the toll gate on the Kaduna-Abuja highway, on Tuesday, July 2.
In response to the incident, Hassan stated that the Command’s anti-kidnapping squad, in collaboration with other security agencies, is working tirelessly to rescue the remaining hostages and apprehend the bandits.
Human rights activist and CEO of the House of Justice, Gloria Ballason, condemned the abduction, citing it as a violation of 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, which guarantee the safety of judges. She described the murder of the judge’s son as “grisly and blood-curdling.”
Ballason called on security agencies to ensure the swift rescue of the remaining captives.
