. Enraged gunmen vow to kill him if he returns to preside over court
. Fear grips residents
There was a drama on Wednesday as a Shari’ah court judge, Mohammed Muktar, narrowly escaped death or possible abduction when suspected bandits invaded a courtroom in Gwarjo village, Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The bandits reportedly stormed the court premises around midday, firing sporadically and demanding to know the whereabouts of the judge.
It was learnt that the judge, who had earlier spotted the approaching gunmen from a distance, quickly escaped through a window moments before the bandits entered the courtroom.
According to an eyewitness, who declined to be identified, “The bandits entered the courtroom, shooting indiscriminately and repeatedly asking where the judge was. Fortunately, he had already escaped through the window, and a commercial motorcyclist helped him flee before they arrived.”
The attackers were however said to have become enraged after discovering that the judge had escaped, threatening to kill him if he ever returned to preside over court proceedings in the community.
Following this latest incident, residents of Gwarjo, a community that has suffered repeated attacks from the bandits, have now been gripped with more fear.
As of the time of filing this report, police in Katsina had yet to issue any statement on the incident.
