Troops launch search after abduction of Zamfara LG Chairman
Abdullateef Fowewe
A pre-dawn attack on the residence of the Executive Chairman of Bungudu Local Government Area in Zamfara State on Saturday left the chairman abducted, five of his relatives rescued and several security personnel dead, the military said.
“In the early hours of today, 25 July 2026, armed terrorists attacked the residence of the Executive Chairman of Bungudu Local Government Area, Zamfara State, Honourable Nura Umar Abdullahi, abducting him and members of his family after overpowering his police and vigilante detail,” Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Danja, Media Information Officer for Joint Task Force (North West) Operation FANSAN YAMMA, said in a statement.
Troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA responded after hearing gunshots and “swiftly moved to the scene where they engaged in hot pursuit of the terrorists leading to a fierce exchange of fire,” the statement added.
The military said its “prompt intervention forced the terrorists to abandon 5 of the Chairman’s family members comprising 2 of his children, mother, wife and his relatives, who were successfully rescued.”
The attackers, however, escaped with the chairman into nearby bush.
The assault reportedly killed members of the chairman’s security detail, including “2 policemen and 1 local vigilante who gallantly resisted the attackers.”
A civilian was also killed and the chairman’s elder brother, Alhaji Bello Umar, sustained injuries during the raid.
Following the abduction, the Theatre Command launched a coordinated search-and-rescue operation involving troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS) and local vigilante units.
Security forces are conducting “deliberate operations at the suspected location of the terrorists, aimed at safely rescuing the abducted Chairman,” the statement said.
The Theatre Command said it has “deployed all available resources in the ongoing operation and remains in close coordination with participating security agencies,” and pledged that it is taking “every lawful and operational measure” to secure a successful outcome.
Authorities appealed for public cooperation, asking residents to “remain calm, continue with their lawful activities and provide credible information through established security channels that may assist the ongoing operation.”
The Theatre Command reaffirmed its commitment to protect lives and property and to continue working with sister security agencies “until the abducted Chairman is safely reunited with his family and the perpetrators are brought to justice.”
