Kidnappers have released Shari’a Court Judge, Babangida Hussaini, after spending about two months in captivity. Babangida was abducted in a Shari’a Court in Safana town, Katsina State, on May 18, where he had gone to deliver judgment.
A close associate of the judge said he was released July 10 after one million Naira ransom was paid.
Before now, the abductors had asked for 50 million Naira which was later scaled down to 30 million Naira after series of negotiations.
The source, however, declined to state who, when, and the manner in which the ransom was paid and delivered before the release of the judge, for security reasons.
Meanwhile, the police in Katsina State have insisted that the judge was not released, rather, he escaped by himself from the abductors.
According to the police, they had received information that the judge had escaped from the bandits’ den, and was in Kauran Zakka, but was not found after the Divisional Police Officer and his men went to the scene, only to discover that he left in another car.
They further stressed that efforts will be intensified to reach out to the judge to get some information on his captors.
The police in Katsina had earlier blamed Babangida for not seeking police protection, even when he knew how vulnerable a man of his status was, as well as the Judiciary Staff Union strike, the day he was abducted.
In another twist, the last is to be heard of the 70-year-old Catholic Reverend father, Joseph Keke, who was abducted on May 18, where his 40-year-old colleague, Alphonsus Bello, was killed, during gunmen attack at the Saint Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church, Malumfashi Local Government Area of the state.
