Zainab Abioye
The Chairman of Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State, Nura Abdullahi, has regained his freedom after spending 61 days in captivity following his abduction by armed bandits.
Abdullahi was abducted on July 25, 2026, when armed men attacked his residence in Bungudu town, triggering a gun battle with members of his security detail.
Four members of his security team—two police officers and two local vigilantes—were killed during the attack.
The chairman and four other victims eventually escaped from captivity in the early hours of Thursday and were subsequently received by troops of the Joint Task Force North-West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, in the general area of Kaura Namoda Local Government Area.
The development was disclosed by the Media Information Officer of Operation FANSAN YAMMA, Aliyu Danja, in a statement issued in Gusau, the Zamfara State capital.
Danja said the escape occurred during an intelligence-led military operation targeting a suspected terrorist location in the area.
According to him, troops deployed around the location encountered the victims after they escaped from captivity and immediately secured them.
He said the victims were provided with security cover and evacuated to a military medical facility for treatment, medical evaluation and routine debriefing.
“The victims escaped in the course of an intelligence-led operation by troops against a suspected terrorists’ location in the general area, and were received by troops deployed in the vicinity,” Danja said.
“They were provided with security cover and evacuated to a military medical facility, where they are responding to treatment and undergoing evaluation and routine debriefing.”
Danja added that one of the victims had already been reunited with his family, while arrangements were ongoing to reunite the remaining victims with their families and the Zamfara State Government.
The development ends more than two months of uncertainty surrounding the whereabouts of the Bungudu council chairman, who was seized from his residence during the deadly attack.
The military command commended the victims for their courage, resilience and determination in regaining their freedom after what it described as a prolonged period in captivity.
The latest incident again highlights the security challenges confronting communities in Zamfara, where armed groups have carried out repeated attacks, abductions and other violent crimes.
However, the military statement did not disclose the identities of the four other victims, the circumstances of their initial abduction or whether any suspects were arrested during the operation.
It also did not state whether the victims sustained injuries during their period in captivity.
PLATFORM TIMES gathered that further details on their condition and the circumstances surrounding their escape were expected as the security agencies continued their debriefing and assessment.
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