By Suspected kidnappers have abducted four female members of the family of the Chief Imam of Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatus Sunnah (JIBWIS) in Digare town, Imam Abubakar Muhammad Digare, in Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
The attack occurred at about 10:30 p.m. on Saturday in Anguwan Madaki, Degare village, as residents were preparing to retire for the night. Eyewitnesses said the gunmen stormed the community, firing multiple gunshots before invading the cleric’s residence.
Hon. Buba Jauro, the councillor representing Digare Ward, confirmed the incident in a telephone interview. He said residents initially mistook the gunshots for routine security patrols responding to ongoing insecurity in the area.
“Yesterday around 10:34 p.m., we heard a gunshot, then another shortly after. We thought it was security personnel responding to insecurity,” he said. “About five minutes later, we heard six more gunshots. That was when we realised something was wrong and asked people who were still outside to return home. Before we entered our houses, we heard another four gunshots.”
According to him, the attackers specifically targeted the Chief Imam’s residence. The cleric reportedly escaped before the gunmen could gain access to his room. In the course of the attack, the assailants abducted four female family members and fled the community.
Residents described the incident as chaotic, noting that the gunmen operated swiftly and left shortly after carrying out the abduction. Despite the presence of security personnel stationed in the town, the attack has left the community in panic.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Bauchi State Police Command, SP Nafiu Abubakar, said the police received a report of the kidnapping on February 15, 2026, at about 9:41 a.m., regarding the incident that occurred the previous night at about 10:30 p.m.
He identified the abducted victims as Rukayya Junaidu (19), Nafisa Zubairu (19), Safiya Imam Lata (18), and Maryam Dadalliya (30). The kidnappers were also reported to have stolen two black Tecno mobile phones from the residence.
SP Abubakar disclosed that a joint rescue operation involving the police, the Nigerian Army, and local vigilante groups led to the successful rescue of two persons, Lawiza Abubakar (35) and Musa Abdullahi (10), who were found unharmed.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Sani-Omolori Aliyu, has assured the public that security agencies are intensifying efforts to rescue the remaining abducted victims and apprehend those responsible for the attack.
As of the time of filing this report, the kidnappers had yet to contact the family with any ransom demand.
