Zamfara Abduction Crisis: Police Confirm Six Clerics Kidnapped, Army Denies Involvement

Six Islamic clerics were abducted by suspected bandits in Zamfara State while en route to a prayer gathering, an incident confirmed by both the Nigerian Army and the Zamfara State Police Command. The clerics were reportedly travelling to Talata Mafara on Saturday, September 12, 2026, when their vehicle was ambushed by armed bandits at approximately 11:30 a.m. along the Dakko–Damri feeder road in Bakura Local Government Area of the state, specifically near Damri village at Gidan Suleiman Bature in Gonar Sarkin Forest.

The abduction occurred as the scholars were on their way to attend a special prayer session organized for peace and the success of President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid. Reports indicated that about 1,000 Islamic scholars had been invited to this gathering, which was reportedly connected to the residence of former Zamfara State Governor and serving Senator Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari in Talata Mafara.

However, the Nigerian Army categorically refuted initial claims that the clerics were kidnapped at Senator Yari’s residence. Lieutenant Colonel Olaniyi Osoba, Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 8 Division, Nigerian Army, stated that intelligence reports confirmed the abduction took place while the victims were travelling from the Sububu forest axis in Bakura Local Government Area towards Talata Mafara. He reiterated that no cleric was abducted at Senator Yari’s residence.

The Zamfara State Police Command, through its spokesperson DSP Yazid Abubakar, confirmed that six Imams were intercepted and abducted by armed bandits wielding sophisticated weapons. This confirmation clarified earlier reports by SaharaReporters that five Islamic clerics were feared abducted, with the police officially confirming six. While SaharaReporters had identified five of the clerics as Imam Yahuza, Magawata Abdullahi, Malam Shehu Dakko, Imam Bala Fagon, and Na’ibi Tasi’u of Tungar Nagudai, the police did not disclose the identities of the abducted imams in their official statement.

In response to the abduction, security agencies have intensified efforts to locate and rescue the victims. The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Bakura Division, along with Police personnel including the Violence Crime Response Unit (VCRU), promptly mobilized in collaboration with other sister security agencies to the scene of the incident to conduct search operations. The Nigerian Army, through Lieutenant Colonel Osoba, confirmed that the military was aware of persons travelling to see Senator Yari who had been abducted, and that troops, in collaboration with other security agencies and local intelligence networks, were working towards their rescue. The Army urged the public to disregard “sensationalised narratives and unverified information” that could cause panic or interfere with ongoing operations, advising residents to remain calm, vigilant, and provide timely information to assist in the rescue efforts. As of the time of filing the reports, the victims had not yet been rescued.