Gunmen suspected to be bandits have killed an Islamic cleric, Alhaji Zainu Mada, in Gusau, Zamfara State, after allegedly collecting a ransom of N2 million.
Alhaji Mada was reportedly kidnapped along the Kotorkoshi–Mada Road several days ago before he was eventually killed. According to Sahare reporters, the bandits also took airtime worth N70,000 and two mobile phones from his family.
The Chairman of Gusau Local Government Area, Abubakar Imam, confirmed the incident, describing it as tragic and unacceptable. He visited the family of the slain cleric, accompanied by Ibrahim Liman, a lawmaker representing Gusau II Constituency in the Zamfara State House of Assembly. During the visit, Imam sympathised with the bereaved family and prayed for God’s forgiveness for the deceased, asking that he be granted Aljannah Firdaus.
Alhaji Mada’s funeral prayer was conducted on Friday evening in his hometown, Mada, where hundreds of residents and sympathisers gathered to pay their last respects.
Mada town has remained a hotspot of banditry, with armed men repeatedly terrorising the area, reportedly targeting it because of its commercial activities. Over time, several residents have lost their lives, and millions of naira have been paid in ransom.
