Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
Gunmen have abducted six Islamic clerics in Zamfara State while they were travelling to attend a special prayer gathering organised in support of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid. The Zamfara State Police Command confirmed the abduction, which occurred on Saturday, September 12, 2026, along the Dakko–Damri feeder road in Bakura Local Government Area. The clerics, all identified as Juma’at Imams, were intercepted at about 11:30 a.m. while travelling to Talata Mafara, where the prayer session was scheduled to hold at the residence of Senator Abdulaziz Yari, a former governor of Zamfara and the Director-General of the Tinubu 2027 presidential campaign council. The incident has heightened concerns about the safety of public gatherings and the worsening security situation in Nigeria’s North-West, where armed groups continue to carry out attacks and mass abductions despite ongoing military operations.
The police stated that armed men wielding sophisticated weapons laid an ambush along the Dakko–Damri feeder road and intercepted a vehicle conveying the victims. Upon receiving the report, the Divisional Police Officer in Bakura mobilised officers, including personnel from the Violent Crime Response Unit, in collaboration with other security agencies, to the scene. A search and rescue operation was launched to locate and free the clerics. The police spokesperson for the Zamfara command, Yazid Abubakar, said efforts were ongoing to secure their release. He did not disclose the identities of the six abducted imams in the official statement.
The prayer gathering that the clerics were travelling to attend was organised by Senator Yari, who was recently reappointed as the coordinator of President Tinubu’s re-election campaign. Reports indicated that about one thousand Islamic scholars were invited to the event to pray for peace and for the success of Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election. The gathering was expected to bring together a large number of imams from across the state. The abduction occurred before the clerics could reach the venue, throwing the event and the surrounding communities into anxiety.
A discrepancy emerged in the immediate aftermath of the incident. Sahara Reporters initially reported that five Islamic clerics were abducted after attending the prayer session at Yari’s residence. The report identified five of the clerics as Imam Yahuza, the First Juma’at Imam in Dogon Madacci; Magawata Abdullahi, the Second Juma’at Imam in Dogon Madacci; Malam Shehu Dakko; Imam Bala Fagon; and Na’ibi Tasi’u of Tungar Nagudai. However, the Zamfara State Police Command later confirmed that six imams were abducted. The police’s confirmation created a discrepancy between the initial report identifying five victims and the official figure of six. The police did not immediately clarify whether a sixth victim had been identified or whether the initial count was inaccurate.
The Nigerian Army also weighed in on the incident, dismissing reports that any cleric was abducted at Senator Yari’s residence. In a statement, Lieutenant Colonel Olaniyi Osoba, Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations for the 8 Division, described the narrative that the abduction took place at the senator’s residence as entirely false. He said intelligence reports indicated that some people were abducted while travelling from the Sububu forest axis in Bakura Local Government Area to Talata Mafara. Osoba said troops, working with other security agencies and local intelligence networks, had intensified efforts to rescue the victims. He urged the public to disregard sensationalised and unverified information capable of causing unnecessary panic or compromising ongoing security operations. The Army spokesperson also said the military had not independently confirmed whether the abducted persons were Islamic clerics, stating only that people travelling to see Yari had been abducted.
A resident of one of the affected communities, who spoke on condition of anonymity, provided further details. He said the clerics were abducted while responding to Yari’s invitation. He identified the abducted clerics as the Imam of Dakko Juma’at Mosque, Malam Shehu; the Imam of Dogon Madacci, Liman Yahuza, and his deputy; the Imam of Fagon, Liman Bala; and the Imam of Tungar Nagodai, Na’ibi Tasi’u. According to him, all the affected imams are from Bakura Local Government Area, except the one from Tungar Nagodai, who is from Anka Local Government Area. The resident said that as of midnight on Saturday, he had neither seen nor heard about the presence or any effort made by security forces to rescue the imams, even as a show of force. He described the situation as making life in the communities similar to living in a prison, with residents afraid to leave their homes even during the day.
The abduction has drawn reactions from various quarters. The Zamfara State Police Command said it had launched a coordinated rescue operation and was working with other security agencies to secure the clerics’ release. The Army said troops were intensifying efforts to rescue the victims and appealed to residents to remain calm and vigilant while providing timely and useful information to security agencies. Senator Yari has not issued a public statement on the incident. The presidency has also not commented. Some Nigerians on social media expressed concern about the security situation, while others debated the circumstances of the abduction, with some questioning the initial reports that placed the incident at Yari’s residence.
The incident is the latest in a series of kidnappings in Zamfara and other North-Western states. Armed groups, locally referred to as bandits, have carried out mass abductions of students, farmers, travellers, and community leaders. The attacks have persisted despite military operations, including Operation FANSAN YAMMA, which was launched to restore security in the region. Residents have repeatedly called on authorities to improve security in rural communities, where many people live in fear of abduction and violence. The latest abduction of clerics travelling to a prayer event has further underscored the vulnerability of civilians in the region and the challenges facing security forces.
For the families of the abducted clerics, the wait for news is agonising. The police have not provided updates on the identities of the six victims or on the progress of the rescue operation. The Army has said it is working with local intelligence networks. The government has not announced any negotiation or contact with the abductors. The coming days will be critical in determining whether the clerics are freed unharmed. The incident has also raised questions about the security arrangements for political gatherings ahead of the 2027 elections. As campaigns intensify, the safety of participants and the ability of communities to gather without fear will remain a pressing concern.
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