Gunmen have reportedly demanded ₦30 million for the release of six Islamic clerics allegedly abducted in Zamfara State after attending a special prayer session organised in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term bid.
The clerics were reportedly among Muslim scholars who participated in a prayer gathering linked to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and organised by Senator Abdulaziz Yari, the former governor of Zamfara and senator representing Zamfara West.
According to conflict reporter D English Alhaji, who disclosed the development in a Facebook post on Tuesday, the six clerics were abducted after attending the prayer session.
“Bandits are now demanding N30 million ransom for their release,” he said in the post, while sharing photographs of the abducted clerics.
The identities of the six clerics have been reported as Muhammadu Shehu, Murtala Dakko, Muhammad Yahuza, Magawata Abdullahi, Bala Hogun and Muhammad Tasi’u.
Reports on the incident said the clerics were abducted while travelling in Zamfara, although accounts differ over the precise circumstances and timing of the attack.
Some reports said the abduction occurred along the Dakko-Damri road in Bakura Local Government Area, while other accounts linked the incident more directly to the clerics’ attendance at the prayer gathering.
There are also reports that other passengers travelling with the clerics were initially taken by the kidnappers, with one person subsequently released after a ransom payment.
It remains unclear whether the reported ₦30 million demand is for all six clerics collectively or represents an amount demanded for each individual.
The reported abduction comes amid continuing security challenges in Zamfara and other parts of north-western Nigeria, where kidnappings and attacks by armed groups have persisted.
As of Wednesday, September 23, there had been no official confirmation from the Zamfara State Government or the Nigeria Police Force publicly establishing the abduction, the identities of the captors or the reported ransom demand.
The circumstances surrounding the incident, including the exact location of the abduction and the status of the clerics, therefore remain subject to official confirmation.