Boluwatife Olatunbosun
Zamfara Insecurity Deepens as Abducted Imams Remain in Captivity
Two weeks after five Juma’at imams were abducted by bandits in Zamfara State, their whereabouts remain unknown as fresh attacks continue to heighten fears among residents.
The clerics were kidnapped on September 13 while travelling to Talata Mafara for a special prayer session organised for the success of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
They were abducted at Gidan Suleiman Bature, about three kilometres from Damri village.
The victims are the Imam of Dakko Juma’at Mosque, Malam Shehu; the Imam of Dogon Madacci, Liman Yahuza, and his deputy; the Imam of Fagon, Liman Bala; and the Imam of Tungar Nagodai, Na’ibi Tasi’u.
All except Tasi’u are from Bakura Local Government Area, while he is from Anka LGA.
The Zamfara State Police Command said it had launched a rescue operation to secure their release.
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However, relatives of the clerics told Daily Trust that the communities were struggling to meet a ransom demand reportedly reduced from N100 million to N30 million after negotiations with the abductors.
One relative said the bandits had moved the imams to another location, leaving their families uncertain about their condition and whereabouts.
Another source alleged that informants had twice frustrated attempts by security personnel to reach the bandits’ location after allegedly alerting the kidnappers to the operations.
The prolonged captivity has left the affected communities traumatised, while the deputies of the abducted imams have taken over the running of their mosques.
The security situation in the state worsened on Monday when heavily armed bandits attacked a livestock market in Tsafe, killing one person and forcing traders and buyers to flee.
Security operatives later engaged the attackers in a gun battle, forcing them to retreat.
The incident came a day after bandits reportedly invaded Tsafe town, using rocket-propelled grenades positioned at strategic locations and abducting seven people.
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An eyewitness, Muhammad Tanimu, said about 50 armed bandits stormed the town and opened fire, while security operatives responded after the attackers had fled.
The police subsequently deployed additional personnel to Tsafe and surrounding communities.
The renewed attacks have also affected farmers, with some reportedly unable to access their farmlands, while traders face growing fears over their safety in markets.
Efforts to reach the Zamfara State Commissioner for Security and Home Affairs, Captain Mairiga; Commissioner for Information, Mahmud Dantawasa; and the state police spokesman, DSP Yazid Abubakar, were unsuccessful.
