Bandits operating in Kaduna State have reportedly abducted a Customary Court Judge, His Worship Janet Galadima, along with her four children from their residence in Mahuta, Chikun Local Government Area. The incident occurred on the evening of Sunday, June 23, 2024, while the judge’s husband was away on duty.
Gloria Mabeiam Ballason, Esq., the Chief Executive Officer of the House of Justice, confirmed the abduction. She stated that the judge and her children were taken hostage by approximately fifteen armed bandits who targeted their residence, a recently developed community area. The bandits demanded a substantial ransom for their release.
Tragically, the judge’s 14-year-old first son was murdered by the terrorists on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, due to delays in the ransom payment. Ballason condemned the abduction and murder, emphasizing that judicial officers, as per Article 7 of the United Nations Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary, deserve protection and security to perform their duties. She also highlighted the Nigerian State’s constitutional mandate under Sections 33 and 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution to ensure the safety of all citizens.
“The murder of Victor, the 14-year-old son of the Judge, is grisly and blood-curdling. No parent deserves the horror of watching her child being killed in such a cold, callous manner,” Ballason stated. She called on Nigerian security agencies, the Governor of Kaduna State, the Nigeria Bar Association, and the Judiciary to urgently protect His Worship Janet Galadima and her remaining children and to ensure that justice is served.
