Armed men on Wednesday night kidnapped two serving councillors and an Islamic cleric in Tsauni community, Gusau Local Government Area of Zamfara State, in a brazen attack carried out directly in front of a police station.
The abducted councillors, who represent Gidan Goga and Tsibiri Wards in Maradun Local Government Area, were taken at about 8:05 pm, shortly after observing the Maghrib prayers.
Chairman of Maradun LGA, Hon. Sanusi Gama Giwa, confirmed the incident and identified the victims as members of his council.
He said the councillors were seated at a local tea joint with other residents when the assailants arrived.
“It happened right in front of a police station where officers are usually present. The bandits even collected phones from the police officers without resistance. They didn’t harm anyone,” Giwa recounted.
According to him, the gunmen initially came in search of a man from Kaura village. When they failed to locate their target, they seized six people, later releasing three and left with the two councillors and the community’s Imam.
The attack has heightened fears in Tsauni, a settlement already housing internally displaced persons (IDPs) from earlier raids in surrounding villages.
Police spokesperson in Zamfara, DSP Yazid Abubakar, confirmed the abduction, noting that security operatives had been mobilized to the area.
“We are doing everything within our power to rescue the victims and bring the perpetrators to justice,” he assured, while appealing to locals to share credible intelligence.
As of press time, no contact had been made with the families of the victims and the kidnappers had not issued any ransom demands.
