19th May, 2010
Some armed men suspected to be operatives of State Security Service (SSS) have abducted Alhaji Musa Anka, a High Court Judge in Gusau, to an unknown destination.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Anka was picked up by the men at about 10.00pm on Monday at his residence in Tudun Wada area of the Zamfara capital after gun shots.
An eye witness, who spoke to NAN on condition of anonymity, said the armed men fired some gun shots into the air to scare the residents to facilitate their mission.
“At first, we thought it was robbery but we later realised that their mission was to take away the judge,” the source said.
The Public Relations Officer of Zamfara Police Command, ASP Sanusi Amiru, confirmed the incident.
He told NAN that the police orderly to the judge had reported the incident to the Tudun Wada police division.
“The police aptly responded, mobilised reinforcement and combed the area.
“We were astonished to find out that the armed men were actually officials of the state security service,” Amiru said.
He said the judge was under the custody of the SSS throughout Monday but was released on Tuesday to enable him preside over a NULGE case in his court.
The Director of the SSS in Zamfara State, Alhaji Mohammed Ningi denied knowledge of the abduction when contacted by newsmen.
On further interview, Ningi, however, confirmed the incident.
He, however, said that the case was under investigation and not for publication.
Although no reason was given for Anka’s abduction by the SSS, a source told NAN that his ordeal could be connected to a controversial judgment he delivered in 2009.
Anka had directed the reinstatement of embattled Gummi Local Government Chairman, Alhaji Suleman Gelenge, against the alleged interest of the state government.