Human rights lawyer and activist, Deji Adeyanju, has strongly condemned the muted response to the abduction of Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza, a High Court Judge in Kebbi State, describing the silence from political leaders as deeply troubling.
In a terse message sent to Veracity Desk, (veracitydesk.com), Adeyanju questioned why such a grave attack on the judiciary has failed to elicit strong reactions from both government and opposition figures, warning that the incident reflects a dangerous erosion of accountability and respect for the rule of law.
“A judge was kidnapped and everyone is acting like it’s normal in a country with a president and government. Even the opposition are not talking about it. If a judge was abducted in 2014 under Goodluck Jonathan, heaven would hear of it. The world heard of Chibok,” Adeyanju said.
Observers argue that the incident underscores Nigeria’s worsening security crisis and the indifference of political actors to tragedies that threaten national stability. Unlike the global outrage that followed the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction, critics say today’s political climate has become disturbingly complacent.
The kidnapping of a judicial officer raises profound concerns about the safety of public officials and the integrity of Nigeria’s justice system. Analysts warn that such attacks undermine judicial independence, weaken public confidence in governance, and embolden criminal networks.
Civil society groups have joined Adeyanju in calling for urgent action, stressing that silence in the face of such lawlessness sends the wrong signal to perpetrators. They insist that protecting judges and other public officials is critical to safeguarding democracy and restoring trust in Nigeria’s institutions.
