Suspected bandits who abducted six Islamic clerics in Bakura Local Government Area of Zamfara State have demanded N30 million ransom for their release, according to family members and community sources.
The clerics were reportedly kidnapped last Saturday after their vehicle was ambushed at Gidan Bature village in Damri Ward, Bakura LGA, while they were travelling to Talata Mafara for a meeting at the residence of former Zamfara State Governor and Senator, Abdulaziz Yari.
The development has heightened concerns among the victims’ families and members of the Islamic community, particularly because most of the abducted clerics are elderly.
A resident of Dakko village, Malam Muhammad Ibrahim, who confirmed the development, said eight people were initially abducted during the incident.
He identified the victims as six Islamic clerics, their driver and two other persons who were reportedly kidnapped separately while returning from their farms.
According to him, the abductors demanded N30 million for the release of the six clerics, while the driver’s family reportedly paid N2 million to secure his freedom.
“The driver was released today (Saturday) and has since reunited with his family in Kwatsama village,” Ibrahim said.
He added that the families of the clerics were making arrangements to raise the N30 million ransom demanded by the abductors.
Ibrahim further claimed that the two other victims abducted while returning from their farms were also subjected to ransom demands, with the abductors allegedly requesting N300,000 each and two 25-litre jerrycans of petrol.
He said there were indications that a serving senator from Zamfara had offered to assist with the ransom demanded for the release of the clerics.
“We heard that a serving senator from Zamfara State has pledged to pay the ransom to free the Imams. We hope this won’t take long,” he said.
The community source appealed to the authorities to intensify efforts to rescue the clerics, warning that their prolonged stay in captivity could expose them to physical and psychological trauma.
“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,” Ibrahim added.
A son of one of the abducted clerics, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the ransom demand had been confirmed by the families.
He said the reported intervention to secure the clerics’ release had raised hopes among the victims’ relatives.
“This new development has raised our hope regarding the return of our fathers and the other religious leaders,” he said.
He added, “We are hoping that the money can be raised before the expiration of the deadline given by the bandits.”
The abducted clerics were identified as Malam Muhammadu Shehu, Chief Imam of Dakko Juma’at Mosque; Malam Murtala Dakko, Deputy Imam of Dakko Juma’at Mosque; Malam Muhammad Yahuza, Chief Imam of Dogon Madacci First Juma’at Mosque; Malam Magawata Abdullahi, Chief Imam of Dogon Madacci Second 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.
According to accounts from community sources, the clerics were travelling through feeder roads when the suspected bandits mounted an ambush along the Dakko-Damri route.
The sources said residents and travellers had increasingly resorted to feeder roads because of security concerns on major highways.
One of the sources alleged that the attackers might have had prior knowledge of the route being used by the clerics.
The source said the clerics travelled from Lambar Bakura through Dambi and Sabon Garin Dambi before heading towards Talata Mafara.
Bakura shares boundaries with Bukkuyum and Anka local government areas, where banditry has remained a major security concern.
Meanwhile, Malam Hassan Mai-Fanta, Chief Imam of Izala Second Mosque in Shinkafi, who also attended the meeting at Yari’s residence, confirmed that he had left Talata Mafara before the abducted clerics.
Mai-Fanta said he only learnt of the abduction after the clerics had been taken into the forest.
He expressed concern over the worsening insecurity in the area, saying the incident demonstrated the vulnerability of travellers, including religious leaders.
“The bandits spare nobody. If they could have the audacity to kidnap Islamic scholars, then who will be spared?” he said.
He urged the government and security agencies to intensify efforts to locate the abducted clerics and secure their safe release.
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