Five Islamic clerics abducted by suspected bandits in Zamfara State have remained in captivity for 41 days after attending a prayer gathering in support of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
The continued detention of the clerics was disclosed on Friday by a conflict reporter covering north-western Nigeria, Bakatsine, in a post on X, where he appealed to Nigerians to pray for their safe return.
“Update: The Islamic scholars are still in the hands of bandits. Let us continue to remember them in our prayers and hope for their safe return,” he wrote.
The clerics were reportedly kidnapped on September 12, 2026, while returning home from a prayer gathering held at the residence of Senator Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari in Talata Mafara Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
Those identified as the victims include Imam Yahuza, Magawata Abdullahi, Malam Shehu Dakko, Imam Bala Fagon and Na’ibi Tasi’u. They were said to have travelled from communities in Bakura and Talata Mafara local government areas to attend the gathering.
A subsequent report on the abduction indicated that the kidnappers had demanded a ransom of N30m for the release of the five clerics. However, there was no confirmed information on Friday that they had been freed.
Yari, a former governor of Zamfara State, is currently representing the state in the Senate and serves as the Director-General of Tinubu’s 2027 presidential campaign.
The prolonged captivity of the clerics has renewed concerns over persistent insecurity in Zamfara, where armed banditry and kidnapping have continued to threaten residents. As their detention entered its 41st day, appeals for prayers and their safe release continued.
