A Shari’ah court judge, Mohammed Muktar, narrowly escaped death or abduction on Wednesday after suspected bandits invaded a courtroom in Gwarjo village, Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State, in a brazen attack that has heightened fears over insecurity in the area.
The gunmen reportedly stormed the court premises around midday, firing sporadically as they searched for the judge.
Residents told Daily Trust that Muktar spotted the armed men approaching from a distance and escaped through a window moments before they entered the courtroom.
“The bandits entered the courtroom, shooting indiscriminately and repeatedly asking where the judge was. Fortunately, he had already escaped through the window, and a commercial motorcyclist helped him flee before they arrived,” a resident said.
Another eyewitness said the attackers became enraged after discovering that the judge had escaped and threatened to kill him if he returned to preside over court proceedings in the community.
The incident is the latest in a string of attacks targeting judicial officers and communities in Nigeria’s North-West, where armed bandit groups have continued to carry out kidnappings, killings and raids despite intensified security operations.
Just days earlier, suspected bandits abducted a Kebbi State High Court judge, Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza, from his residence, prompting renewed concerns over the safety of judicial officers.
The latest attack has further heightened anxiety among residents of Gwarjo, a community that has repeatedly come under attack from bandits.
Matazu and several other local government areas in Katsina State have remained vulnerable to recurring attacks by armed groups, despite ongoing military operations and the Katsina State Government’s efforts to improve security across frontline communities.
The state has consistently ranked among the areas worst affected by banditry in Nigeria’s North-West.
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