Bandits kill abducted Islamic cleric after collecting ransom

Zainu Mada, an Islamic cleric in Gusau Local Government Area of Zamfara State, has been killed by bandits.

Chairman of the local government area, Abubakar Imam, condemned the killing when he paid a condolence visit to the family of the deceased yesterday, Friday, January 23, 2026.

Imam, who was accompanied by a lawmaker representing Gusau 2 Constituency at the House of Assembly, Ibrahim Liman, sympathised with the family of the victim and prayed to God to forgive the deceased and grant him the most exalted paradise.

Mada was kidnapped by bandits along the Kotorkoshi-Mada road some days ago.

After collecting N2 million ransom, a motorcycle, and N70,000 in recharge cards, the bandits went ahead to kill Mada and instructed his family to go and receive his corpse.

His funeral prayer was conducted on Thursday evening in his hometown, Mada, where hundreds of people gathered to pay their respects.

Mada town has been witnessing a series of bandit attacks due to commercial activities in the area, where many people have lost their lives and millions of Naira have been paid as ransom.

Efforts to get comments from the spokesperson of the state police command failed, as he could not be reached by phone. (Saturday PUNCH)