Public gatherings in Zamfara now face renewed security questions after six Muslim clerics were abducted during a prayer meeting held in support of President Bola Tinubu's 2027 re-election campaign. The incident took place in Talata Mafara Local Government Area and was reported to have occurred on Saturday, officials disclosed on Monday.
The clerics had attended the event organised by former Zamfara governor and chairman of the Tinubu Presidential Campaign Council, Abdulaziz Yari, to pray for the president's electoral prospects. Local authorities confirmed the six were taken and said security forces are actively working to locate and free them.
Initial accounts created confusion by claiming the victims were seized from Yari's residence, where the gathering was said to have been held. Police later said preliminary inquiries indicate the clerics were not abducted from the former governor's home, and investigators are probing the exact circumstances and location of the attack.
Zamfara State is part of Nigeria's North-West region that has continued to suffer assaults and mass kidnappings by armed groups, despite ongoing military and security operations aimed at reducing bandit activity. The latest abduction underscores how persistent the threat remains for communities and public events across the state.
Authorities have not released the identities of the clerics or provided details about the attackers' numbers, motive or the route used to remove the victims. Officials said searches and intelligence efforts are underway to establish how the abduction was carried out and to recover the victims safely.
The incident has intensified concerns about the safety of political and religious gatherings in areas where armed groups operate, and it places added pressure on security agencies to demonstrate rapid results. Investigations continue, and security forces said they remain engaged in efforts to trace the abducted clerics and clarify conflicting reports about the location of the seizure.
