Reports claiming a group of Islamic scholars were abducted from the residence of a prominent senator in north-western Nigeria are entirely false, the military has said.
Social media reports and local media outlets had claimed the clerics were taken from the Talata Mafara home of Senator Abdul’aziz Yari in Zamfara State.
However, Headquarters 8 Division of the Nigerian Army dismissed the claims, clarifying that no abduction took place at the former governor’s compound.”We wish to categorically refute the claim and set the record straight,” said Lieutenant Colonel Olaniyi Osoba, acting spokesperson for Sector 2 Joint Task Force Operation Fansan Yamma.”The narrative that the abduction took place at the Senator’s residence in Talata Mafara is entirely false.”Rescue operation under wayMilitary intelligence confirmed that a group of people were instead abducted while travelling from the Sububu forest axis in neighbouring Bakura Local Government Area towards Talata Mafara. Troops, working alongside other security agencies and local intelligence networks, have launched an operation to track down the gunmen and rescue the victims, Lt Col Osoba added.
The army urged the public to ignore sensationalised reports, warning that unverified information could spark unnecessary panic and compromise ongoing operations.
Zamfara State has long been hit by armed gangs—locally referred to as bandits—who frequently carry out mass kidnappings for ransom, targeting travellers, remote villages, and educational institutions across north-western Nigeria.
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