Six imams were abducted by armed men in Nigeria’s northern Zamfara State on Saturday, September 12, 2026, while travelling to a religious gathering in Talata Mafara.
Police said the attackers, described locally as bandits and reportedly armed with sophisticated weapons, ambushed a vehicle carrying the clerics along the Dakko–Damri feeder road at about 11:30 am local time.
The imams were reportedly travelling to attend a religious gathering organised at the Talata Mafara residence of Senator Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari, a former Zamfara State governor and senior member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Nigerian media reported that the gathering, which was expected to attract more than 2,900 clerics, was organised to pray for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in January.
Zamfara police said on Sunday, September 13, 2026, that security personnel had launched an intensive search-and-rescue operation, including combing surrounding bushes, to locate the six imams and arrest those responsible.
Local media also reported that the abductors had demanded a ransom for the release of the clerics.