Nigeria: Army Denies Abduction of Islamic Clerics From Senator Yari's Residence

What the report says

The Nigerian Army has rejected social media reports claiming that Islamic clerics were abducted from the residence of Senator Abdul'aziz Yari in Talata Mafara, Zamfara State. In a statement from Operation Fasan Yanma spokesperson Olaniyi Osoba, the army said the account was false and described it as misleading, saying no abduction took place at the senator’s home.

The report being denied emerged after Premium Times said six imams were abducted in Zamfara, with police indicating that the victims’ vehicle was intercepted along the Dakko-Damri feeder road in Bakura Local Government Area. The army gave a different account, saying intelligence suggested that some people were seized while traveling from the Sububu forest area in Bakura en route to Talata Mafara. It said a joint rescue effort involving troops, other security agencies and local intelligence had begun.

The statement urged the public to avoid unverified claims that could fuel panic or interfere with operations, and to share useful information with security forces. Senator Yari, who was recently reappointed as coordinator of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign, had not commented publicly at the time of the report. The incident fits into the broader security crisis in north-west Nigeria, where kidnappings by armed groups have remained a major concern.