Police launch operation to rescue six abducted clerics in Zamfara

The Zamfara State Police Command has launched a coordinated operation to rescue six Islamic clerics abducted by suspected bandits along the Dakko–Damri feeder road in Bakura Local Government Area.

The clerics were reportedly kidnapped around 11:30am on Saturday, September 12, 2026, while travelling to Talata Mafara.

In a statement on Sunday, the command’s spokesperson, Yazid Abubakar, said the victims were ambushed by armed men who intercepted the vehicle conveying them along the road.

“Upon receipt of the report, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Bakura Division, promptly mobilised and led police personnel, including the Vigilante and Crime Response Unit (VCRU), in collaboration with other sister security agencies, to the scene of the incident,” Abubakar said.

He said security operatives had begun combing surrounding bushes in an effort to locate the clerics and apprehend their abductors.

The Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Bello, according to the statement, directed the operatives to intensify the search and deploy all available resources towards securing the victims’ safe release.

The command also appealed to residents to provide credible information that could assist the security agencies in locating the abducted clerics and arresting those responsible.

The development came amid conflicting accounts of where the abduction occurred.

The Nigerian Army had earlier dismissed reports that the clerics were kidnapped at the residence of former Zamfara Governor Abdul’aziz Yari in Talata Mafara.

The Army’s position was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 8 Division, Nigerian Army/Sector 2, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, Lt-Col. Olaniyi Osoba.