ONSA, DSS rescue 3 kidnapped Zamfara Imams
ONSA, DSS rescue 3 kidnapped Zamfara Imams
By Sadiq Sadiq, Gusau
The Zamfara State Commissioner of Police, CP Muhammad Bello has confirmed the rescue of three of the six Imams abducted on September 12, 2026, while traveling to Talata Mafara, Zamfara.
Bello in an interview with a select of reporters gave the confirmation on Friday saying theb rescue followed the success of the multi-agency collaboration and seamless synergy between office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Department of the State Services (DSS), and Police operatives.
Bello said that the security tactical operations remained ongoing in full force, leveraging real-time intelligence supplied by local community members to track down the remaining armed bandits and ensure the safe recovery of the three Imams still in captivity.
The ONSA had in a high-stakes, intelligence-driven through collaboration with the DSS operating alongside the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), rescued the three Islamic clerics kidnapped while en route to a special prayer session for President Bola Tinubu in Talata Mafara, Zamfara.
The victims were part of a group of six Imams abducted on September 12, 2026, when heavily armed bandits intercepted them around 11:30 a.m. along the Dakko-Damri feeder road near Sububu Forest in Bakura Local Government Area.
The clerics identified among the group including Imam Yahuza, Magawata Abdullahi, Malam Shehu Dakko, Imam Bala Fagon, and Na’ibi Tasi’u were traveling to Talata Mafara to attend a special prayer gathering to seek divine favour for Tinubu’s administration.
Their abductors had reportedly demanded a ransom of N30 million for their release.
A senior security operative involved in the extraction, also confirmed that the three clerics were rescued unhurt following meticulous, intelligence-led maneuvers.
The Imams are said to be in stable condition after they received medical evaluations and expert debriefings.
The security operatives confirmed that the three Imams are slated for formal handover to the Zamfara State Government to reunite them with their families.
The Police Command assured that
operational leads would continue urging the public to maintain a vigilant flow of timely, actionable information to help flush out terrorist elements across the region. END
