Bandits who abducted six Islamic clerics in Zamfara State have demanded ₦30 million for their release, according to residents and relatives of the victims.
The clerics were kidnapped last Saturday along the Dakko-Damri feeder road in Bakura Local Government Area while travelling to Talata Mafara for a meeting.
A resident of Dakko village, Malam Muhammad Ibrahim, who confirmed the incident, said eight people were abducted during the attack. They included five Imams, their driver and two other people who were returning from a farm.
According to Ibrahim, the driver has since regained his freedom after his family reportedly paid ₦2 million to the abductors.
He said the two other victims who were returning from the farm were also reportedly released after their families paid ₦300,000 each and provided two 25-litre jerrycans of petrol.
“The driver was released today (Saturday) and has since reunited with his family in Kwatsama village. We also heard that preparations are being made for the payment of the ₦30 million ransom to free the abducted Imams,” Ibrahim said.
He added that a serving senator from Zamfara State had reportedly pledged to provide the money needed for the release of the clerics.
Ibrahim appealed to security agencies and the government to intensify efforts to rescue the victims, expressing concern about their age and the conditions they may be facing in captivity.
“The Imams are aged and their stay in the bandits’ den alone could make their health conditions deteriorate. The government should therefore hasten efforts to free them,” he said.
A son of one of the abducted clerics, who spoke anonymously, said the release of the driver had given the families renewed hope that their fathers and other religious leaders would soon regain their freedom.
He confirmed that the bandits had demanded ₦30 million for the release of the six clerics, adding that the families were working to raise the money before the deadline given by the abductors.
The six abducted clerics were identified as Malam Muhammadu Shehu, Chief Imam of Dakko Juma’at Mosque; Malam Murtala Dakko, Deputy Imam of the mosque; Malam Muhammad Yahuza, Chief Imam of Dogon Madacci 1st Juma’at Mosque; Malam Magawata Abdullahi, Chief Imam of Dogon Madacci 2nd Juma’at Mosque; Malam Bala Hogun, Chief Imam of Hogun Juma’at Mosque; and Malam Muhammad Tasi’u, Chief Imam of Kwatsama Juma’at Mosque.
The clerics were reportedly ambushed at Gidan Bature village in Damri Ward, Bakura Local Government Area, while travelling to Talata Mafara for a meeting at the residence of former Zamfara State governor and serving Senator Abdulaziz Yari.
A source said the clerics had used the feeder road because many travellers have increasingly avoided major highways due to frequent bandit attacks.
The source explained that the victims travelled through feeder roads from Lambar Bakura to Dambi and then to Sabon Garin Dambi before heading towards Talata Mafara.
According to the source, the attackers may have known the route the clerics were using before launching the ambush.
Malam Hassan Mai-Fanta, Chief Imam of Izala 2nd Mosque in Shinkafi, who also attended the meeting, said he left Talata Mafara before the abducted clerics arrived.
“I also attended the meeting at Senator Abdulaziz Yari’s residence, but those of us from Shinkafi Local Government left Talata Mafara town earlier than the abducted scholars. I only heard about their abduction yesterday,” he said.
Mai-Fanta condemned the incident and called on the government to ensure the safe rescue of the clerics.
The abduction adds to concerns over the activities of bandits in Zamfara, where attacks and kidnappings have continued to affect residents and travellers.
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