A judge of the Upper Customary Court in Kaduna State, Janet Gimba, was released on Thursday by bandits who had abducted her and her four children. However, her children remain in captivity, according to her husband, Dr. Musa Gimba.
Dr. Gimba, a medical practitioner, revealed that the kidnappers are demanding a ransom of N150 million for the release of the remaining children. The bandits have issued a three-day ultimatum, threatening to kill the children if the ransom is not paid.
In a tragic development, the Kaduna State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Mansir Hassan, confirmed that the judge’s 14-year-old son, Victor, was killed by the abductors. Victor’s body was discovered at Ungwan Bayero, Duste village, near the toll gate along the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway on Tuesday, July 2, 2024.
ASP Hassan stated that the police command, in collaboration with other security agencies, is working tirelessly to rescue the remaining victims and apprehend the perpetrators.
The kidnapping occurred on Sunday, as reported by human rights lawyer Gloria Ballason, the Chief Executive Officer of the House of Justice. According to Ballason, approximately 15 armed individuals carried out the abduction.
Ballason condemned the murder of Victor as “grisly and blood-curdling,” stating that no parent should endure the horror of witnessing their child’s execution in such a callous manner. She called upon Nigerian security agencies, the Governor of Kaduna State, the Nigerian Bar Association, and the Judiciary to take urgent action to protect the lives of the judge’s remaining children and ensure justice is served.
