A Shari’ah Court judge, Mohammed Muktar, narrowly avoided death or abduction after suspected bandits attacked a courtroom in Gwarjo village, Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State, on Wednesday.
The gunmen reportedly stormed the court premises around midday, firing several shots into the air as they demanded to know the judge’s whereabouts.
According to residents, Judge Muktar noticed the armed men approaching from a distance and quickly escaped through a window before they entered the courtroom. A commercial motorcycle rider reportedly assisted him in fleeing the area to safety.
One resident said the attackers searched the courtroom while repeatedly asking for the judge. Realising he had already escaped, the gunmen became furious and continued firing indiscriminately within the court premises.
An eyewitness disclosed that the assailants threatened to kill the judge if he ever returned to preside over court proceedings in the community.
The incident has further heightened fear among residents of Gwarjo, a community that has experienced repeated bandit attacks in recent years.
Efforts to obtain an official response were unsuccessful, as the spokesperson for the Katsina State Police Command, Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, did not answer calls or respond to text messages seeking comment.
