*””Security agencies say operations continue to find the remaining captives
Three of six Islamic clerics kidnapped in Zamfara State have been rescued, security agencies said, while three others remain in the hands of their abductors.
The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force carried out the operation. A senior security operative in Gusau said the clerics were recovered unhurt after an intelligence-led operation.
The six men were abducted on September 12, 2026, at about 11:30 a.m. on the Dakko-Damri feeder road near Sububu Forest in Bakura Local Government Area, three kilometers from Damri village. They were traveling to Talata Mafara for a special prayer session for President Bola Tinubu’s administration when armed bandits stopped them.
Those named among the group are Imam Yahuza, Magawata Abdullahi, Malam Shehu Dakko, Imam Bala Fagon and Na’ibi Tasi’u. The report does not say which three were freed.
The kidnappers had reportedly demanded a ransom of ₦30 million.
The rescued clerics have undergone medical evaluation and debriefing and are said to be in stable condition. They are to be handed over to the Zamfara State Government to be reunited with their families.
Zamfara Commissioner of Police Ahmad Muhammad Bello confirmed the operation and praised the cooperation among the agencies.
Security officials said operations are continuing, supported by real-time intelligence from local communities, to locate the bandits and secure the release of the three Imams still in captivity. They urged the public to keep providing timely and useful information.
The date of the rescue and whether any ransom was paid were not disclosed.