12/09/2025
Breaking News.
Bandits Attack Magistrate on Kontagora-Tegina Highway, Abduct Passengers
Armed bandits have attacked a Niger State Magistrate, Benjamin Zakari, along the Kontagora-Tegina Highway, leaving him injured and abducting several travellers.
The incident occurred as Magistrate Zakari, who serves in the Rijau Magisterial Division, was returning from a one-day workshop held at Azahrah International Hotel in Minna. Eyewitnesses reported that the bandits blocked the busy highway, opened fire on vehicles, and struck the magistrate in the leg as he attempted to flee.
For nearly three hours, the armed gang terrorized the road, forcing vehicles to halt. They reportedly abducted passengers into a nearby forest and left four other travellers with injuries.
The attack has renewed concerns over the safety of judicial officers in Niger State. Observers have noted that Magistrates often travel in commercial vehicles alongside litigants and even former convicts, exposing them to grave risks. In one earlier case, a female Magistrate narrowly escaped harm when a former inmate she had sentenced recognized her while travelling in the same vehicle.
Stakeholders are now calling on the state government to urgently provide secure transportation for Magistrates and other judicial officers to safeguard their lives and ensure the effective delivery of justice.
