A Shari’ah court judge, Mohammed Muktar, narrowly escaped death or possible abduction on Wednesday after suspected bandits invaded a courtroom in Gwarjo village, Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The attack reportedly occurred around midday when the armed men stormed the court premises, firing sporadically while demanding to know the judge’s whereabouts. According to residents, the judge noticed the approaching gunmen from a distance and acted quickly by escaping through a window just moments before the attackers entered the courtroom.
One resident told Daily Trust that the bandits stormed the courtroom, shooting indiscriminately and repeatedly asking where the judge was. “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,” the resident said. Another eyewitness said the gunmen became enraged after discovering that the judge had escaped. The witness claimed the attackers threatened to kill the judge if he ever returned to preside over court proceedings in the community.
The incident has further heightened fears among residents of Gwarjo, a community that has experienced repeated attacks by armed bandits in recent years. As of the time of filing this report, the spokesperson for the Katsina State Police Command, Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, had not commented on the incident. Calls and text messages sent to him reportedly went unanswered.
The latest attack adds to growing concerns over insecurity in parts of Katsina State, where bandit attacks have continued to disrupt daily life despite ongoing security operations.