Troops intensify hunt for abducted Zamfara council chairman

Troops under Operation FANSAN YAMMA have stepped up efforts to rescue the Executive Chairman of Bungudu Local Government Area in Zamfara State, Hon. Nura Umar Abdullahi, after he was kidnapped by armed terrorists.

According to a statement issued on Saturday by the Media Information Officer of Operation FANSAN YAMMA, Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Danja, the attackers stormed the chairman’s home in the early hours of July 25, 2026, overpowering his police officers and local vigilantes before abducting him and some of his family members.

The military said troops responded immediately after hearing gunfire and pursued the attackers, leading to a fierce gun battle.

The statement said, “Troops’ prompt intervention forced the terrorists to abandon five of the chairman’s family members, comprising two of his children, mother, wife and his relatives, who were successfully rescued.”

However, the military added that “the terrorists narrowly escaped into surrounding bushes with the Chairman.”

The attack also turned deadly. According to the statement, “the attack claimed the lives of members of the chairman’s security detail, including two policemen and one local vigilante who gallantly resisted the attackers.”

A civilian was also killed, while the chairman’s elder brother, Alhaji Bello Umar, was injured during the attack.

Following the incident, the military said it launched a joint search-and-rescue operation involving Operation FANSAN YAMMA troops, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS) and local vigilantes.

The statement said security personnel are conducting operations in locations where the kidnappers are believed to be hiding in an effort to rescue the council chairman safely.

The command said it has committed all available resources to the mission and assured the Zamfara State Government and residents that every lawful and operational step is being taken to secure the chairman’s release.

It also urged residents to remain calm, continue their normal activities, and provide useful information through official security channels that could assist the ongoing operation.