Police Launch Rescue Effort for Six Abducted Clerics in Zamfara

The Zamfara State Police Command has started a rescue operation to free six Islamic clerics taken by armed bandits. They were kidnapped along the Dakko, Damri feeder road in Bakura Local Government Area.

This information came from a statement on Sunday by the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Yazid Abubakar, in Gusau, the state capital.

Abubakar said the clerics were taken on Saturday, September 12, 2026, around 11:30 am by armed bandits who had advanced weapons.

“The attackers set an ambush on the Dakko, Damri feeder road and stopped the vehicle carrying the victims,” he said.

The six victims, all Imams, were on their way to Talata Mafara when the armed men seized them.

“After we received the report, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Bakura Division quickly mobilised police officers. They worked with the Vigilante and Crime Response Unit (VCRU) and other security agencies to reach the scene,” Abubakar explained.

“The security team has begun a thorough search in the surrounding bushes to find and rescue the victims and catch the criminals,” he added.

According to him, the Commissioner of Police for Zamfara, Ahmed Bello, has instructed the officers involved in the rescue to work harder. He wants them to use all available resources to safely bring back the victims.

“The command is also calling on the public to share reliable information that can help security forces rescue the victims and arrest the kidnappers,” Abubakar requested.

Earlier, the Nigerian Army denied claims that the clerics were kidnapped at the home of former governor Abdul’aziz Yari in Talata Mafara LGA.

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