Security forces operating in Zamfara State have successfully rescued three of the six Islamic clerics abducted earlier this month, following a targeted joint operation led by intelligence and tactical teams. ​
The Zamfara State Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmad Muhammad Bello, confirmed the development, noting that the release of the victims was achieved through coordinated efforts involving personnel from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Department of State Services (DSS), and police tactical units. ​
The abduction occurred on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at approximately 11:30 AM, along the Dakko–Damri feeder road near Sububu Forest in Bakura Local Government Area. The clerics, identified as Imam Yahuza, Magawata Abdullahi, Malam Shehu Dakko, Imam Bala Fagon, and Na’ibi Tasi’u, were en route to Talata Mafara to attend a special prayer gathering at the residence of Senator Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari when heavily armed bandits intercepted their vehicle.
Following the kidnapping, the captors had established contact and demanded a ₦30 million ransom. ​Upon their extraction in Gusau, the three rescued Imams underwent medical evaluations and debriefing. Police authorities confirmed that they emerged unhurt, remain in stable condition, and are being prepared for a formal handover to the Zamfara State Government to reunite with their families. ​
Speaking on the rescue, CP Ahmad Muhammad Bello commended the inter-agency collaboration and reaffirmed that search and tracking operations are actively ongoing to locate the remaining three clerics. He emphasized that security forces are utilising real-time community intelligence to sweep the surrounding forest axes and bring the bandits to justice.
​Echoing the security network’s resolve, Lt.-Col. Olaniyi Osoba, Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations for 8 Division and Sector 2 of Operation FANSAN YAMMA, assured the public that joint task force operations will maintain continuous pressure across the region until all captives are safely recovered and threat elements are neutralised.
