Claim: A Facebook page, Agbama Dynasty, shared a video claiming that bandits kidnapped a Sharia Court judge while he was presiding over a court session in Bauren Zakat village, Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State.
Verdict: MISLEADING. The video is genuine, but it occurred in May 2021, not recently.
Full Text
On Friday, July 31, 2026, a Facebook page, Agbama Dynasty, shared a video with the caption: “Bandits executed bandit law on sharia judge in Bauren zakat village in safana local government of katsina state…”
Although the caption was unclear, the narrator in the video explained that Samaila Husseini, a Shariah judge, was abducted while presiding over a Shariah case in Bauren Zakat Village in Safana Local Government of Katsina State.
“Oga, film trick no gree end for Nigeria Oo. One Samaila Husseini, a Shariah judge, was presiding over a Shariah case in Bauren Zakat Village in Safana Local Government of Katsina State. Bandits decided to do their own bandit law on him. Oo, broke into the court, picked this guy, took him to the bush to do bandit law. Oga, stop Shariah law; we want to do bandit law on you. This thing don dey touch everybody Oo, Nigerians where are we standing?” the narrator said.
As of Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, the post (archived here) had garnered about 5,000 reactions, 141 comments, 522 shares and 160 bookmarks.
Several users in the comment section accepted the claim and celebrated it, asserting that the North is responsible for banditry.
Jacob Moses wrote, “Good, this is Nigeria.”
Ajirngee Charles said, “Good one, they are the cause of everything.”
Raphael Part described it as “Good news ever,” while Nkechi Jerry commented, “Very good.”
The reactions and high engagement prompted DUBAWA to investigate the video.
Verification
DUBAWA conducted keyword searches for credible media reports matching the claim but found none.
Instead, the search revealed that on July 30, 2026, suspected bandits attacked a different Sharia Court in Gwarjo, Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State.
According to reports, the presiding judge, Mohammed Mukhtar, escaped through a back window shortly before the gunmen entered the court premises. The attackers reportedly fired several shots while searching for him and threatened to return after failing to find him. There were no credible reports that the judge was abducted or killed.
The incident was also reported by Daily Trust, The Guardian, Leadership News, Tribune and others.
Since the recent reports did not correspond with the Facebook claim, DUBAWA conducted further searches using the locations and details mentioned in the video.
The search led to an incident that occurred more than five years ago. On May 18, 2021, Peoples Gazette, crediting Daily Trust, reported that armed bandits stormed a Sharia Court in Bauren Zakat village, Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State, and abducted the presiding judge, Husaini Sama’ila, while court proceedings were ongoing.
The report, citing eyewitnesses, stated that the attackers entered the court premises and took the judge away. The details in the Facebook video correspond with the 2021 abduction rather than the recent security incident in Katsina State.
Although the kidnapping actually occurred, the Facebook page failed to indicate that the incident happened in 2021, thereby giving viewers the impression that it was a recent development.
Conclusion
The claim is misleading. While a Sharia Court judge was indeed abducted by bandits while presiding over a court session in Bauren Zakat village, Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State, the incident occurred in May 2021, not 2026.
Recent reports of an attack on a Sharia Court in Katsina involved a different court in Matazu Local Government Area, where the presiding judge escaped unharmed.
This fellowship is implemented by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) with support from the European Union.