The Zamfara State Police Command has deployed personnel to rescue six Islamic clerics who were abducted by suspected bandits while travelling through Bakura Local Government Area of the state.
The clerics were reportedly seized at about 11:30am on Saturday, September 12, 2026, after armed men ambushed their vehicle along the Dakko–Damri feeder road.
The command’s spokesperson, Yazid Abubakar, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday in Gusau, saying the victims were on their way to Talata Mafara when the incident occurred.
According to him, the assailants were armed with sophisticated weapons and intercepted the vehicle conveying the clerics.
Abubakar said the Bakura Divisional Police Officer immediately mobilised personnel, including members of the Vigilante and Crime Response Unit, alongside other security agencies, to the area.
He said the operatives had launched an intensive search of surrounding bushes to locate the victims and track down their abductors.
“The team of security operatives has commenced an intensive search operation, with the surrounding bushes being thoroughly combed in an effort to locate and rescue the victims and apprehend the perpetrators,” he said.
The Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Bello, was said to have directed the operatives to intensify the search and deploy all available resources to secure the safe release of the clerics.
The police also urged residents with useful information about the victims or their abductors to promptly alert security agencies.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army has rejected reports that the clerics were abducted at the residence of former Zamfara Governor Abdul’aziz Yari in Talata Mafara.
The Army’s position was contained in a statement by the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 8 Division, Nigerian Army/Sector 2, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, Lt-Col. Olaniyi Osoba.
