Three of Six Abducted Zamfara Clerics Rescued

Three of six Islamic clerics abducted in Zamfara State were rescued in a joint operation involving Nigeria’s security agencies, police commissioner Muhammad Bello said on October 31. The other three remained in captivity as security operations continued to locate them, he said. Bello said the rescue involved the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services and police operatives. He confirmed the outcome in an interview with reporters in Gusau, according to accounts of his statement. A senior security operative involved in the extraction said the rescued clerics were unharmed. They had undergone medical evaluations and debriefing and were in stable condition, the operative said. Arrangements were being made to hand them over to the Zamfara State Government for reunion with their families. The six clerics were abducted on September 12 while travelling to Talata Mafara, where they planned to attend a special prayer gathering for President Bola Tinubu. Reports say armed men intercepted them on a road near Sububu Forest in Bakura Local Government Area. The precise location was described in one account as near the Dakko-Damri feeder road. The police...