Security agencies have mounted a coordinated rescue operation to recover six Islamic clerics seized on Sept. 12 along the Dakko, Damri feeder road in Bakura Local Government Area, Zamfara State. Authorities say the mission is active and focused on locating the victims and those who carried out the attack.
The Zamfara Police Command provided details through its public relations officer, DSP Yazid Abubakar, in Gusau. He said the abduction took place at about 11:30 a.m. while the clerics were travelling to Talata Mafara, and described the attack as an ambush. "The assailants laid an ambush along the Dakko, Damri feeder road and intercepted the vehicle conveying the victims," Abubakar said.
Police briefings also said the gunmen were armed with weapons that authorities described as sophisticated. The Divisional Police Officer in Bakura moved quickly, mobilising officers who joined local vigilante members and the Crime Response Unit to press into the corridor where the abduction occurred.
Teams on the ground are conducting methodical searches of surrounding bushland, coordinating with other security agencies to widen the sweep. "The team of security operatives has commenced an intensive search operation, with the surrounding bushes being thoroughly combed in an effort to locate and rescue the victims and apprehend the perpetrators," Abubakar said.
Commissioner of Police Ahmed Bello has ordered operatives to intensify efforts and to use all available resources to secure the safe release of the clerics, the command added. Officials are also appealing to residents to provide credible and timely information that could aid the operation. The police account frames the search and public appeal as central to recovering the imams and ensuring those responsible are brought to justice as the operation continues.
