ONSA, DSS Rescue 3 Kidnapped Zamfara Imams

Three kidnapped Islamic clerics in Zamfara State have been rescued after spending almost seven weeks in captivity.

According to Donjoe Media findings, the rescue was confirmed on Friday, October 30, 2026. The operation was carried out by the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services, and the Nigeria Police Force. It was the result of weeks of intelligence work in the Sububu Forest area. The three men came out unhurt.

They were among six clerics abducted on September 12, 2026. The men were travelling to Talata Mafara for a special prayer session for President Bola Tinubu. Around 11:30 a.m. that Saturday, bandits blocked their vehicle on the Dakko-Damri feeder road. The spot is about three kilometres from Damri village in Bakura Local Government Area, close to Sububu Forest.

The gunmen dragged all six men into the bush. The victims were identified as Imam Yahuza, Magawata Abdullahi, Malam Shehu Dakko, Imam Bala Fagon, and Na’ibi Tasi’u. The sixth name was not listed in the official reports. The abduction shocked the Muslim community in Zamfara. It also raised fresh questions about safety on rural roads in the state.

After the abduction, the kidnappers contacted families and demanded N30 million. For rural families, that amount was impossible. The families struggled to raise anything close to it. For weeks, there was little news. Relatives waited and prayed. The uncertainty was part of the pain.

Security agencies did not go quiet. Operatives tracked the gang. They followed phone signals and movements around Sububu Forest. A senior operative involved in the rescue said the operation was intelligence-led. The teams moved carefully to avoid harming the hostages. When they struck, they overwhelmed the kidnappers. The three clerics were freed without injuries.

After the rescue, the men were taken for medical checks. Doctors confirmed they were in stable condition. They were also debriefed by security personnel to document what happened during captivity. They are expected to be handed over to the Zamfara State Government so they can reunite with their families.

The Zamfara State Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmad Muhammad Bello, confirmed the rescue in Gusau on Friday. He praised the teamwork between ONSA, DSS, and the police. He said operations are still ongoing in full force. The aim now is to find the remaining three clerics and arrest the gang behind the abduction.

Three men are still in captivity. That is the hard part of this story. Their families are still waiting. Security commanders say they are using real-time information from local residents to track the kidnappers. The Sububu Forest is thick and difficult. The gang knows the terrain. It can move hostages from one camp to another quickly. Time matters.

Police are asking residents to help. If anyone sees strangers buying large amounts of food or medicine in the area, they should report it. If anyone notices strange movement in the bush, they should speak up. That kind of tip has helped before. It can help again.

Community leaders also have a role. Police warn that anyone acting as an informant for bandits will face prosecution. Providing information to kidnappers undermines the work of security forces and puts whole villages at risk.

Sububu Forest has been a problem for years. Bandits use it to hide victims and move weapons. The terrain gives them cover. Patrols are hard. Without permanent forward bases and aerial surveillance, it is difficult to hold the area. The military has been asked to increase air patrols and drone surveillance over the forest.

The abduction also shows the wider cost of insecurity in Zamfara. Farmers are afraid to go to their farms. Traders are afraid to travel on rural roads. When roads are unsafe, food becomes scarce and prices go up. The prayer session the clerics were travelling for was meant to seek divine favour for the country. Instead, it ended in weeks of captivity.

For the three rescued clerics, the ordeal is over. For their families, the relief is real. But the work is not finished until the other three are home. Security agencies say they will not stop until that happens.

For more on joint security operations in the North-West, see the https://www.onsa.gov.ng/ updates.

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By Jonadab Oluikpe
Publish by Donjoe Media