Breaking News: Heightened Tension as ISWAP Abducts Female Teenagers in Borno

Tension has intensified across communities in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State after members of the Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) kidnapped several female teenagers who were working on their farmlands.

The Deputy Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abdullahi Askira, confirmed the incident, stating that the girls were abducted on Saturday while harvesting crops in the Mussa district.

According to him, the victims—13 in number and aged between 15 and 20 years—had gone to their family farmlands in the Mussa farming belt when armed men seized them and disappeared into the nearby bush.

Askira, who represents the Askira-Uba constituency, noted that the abducted teenagers were among residents earlier relocated from the vulnerable community of Huyim to the relatively safer Mussa area due to ongoing insecurity.

He added that the girls were engaged in a joint community farming initiative designed to support displaced families.

“One of the victims managed to escape and has been reunited with her family this morning,” the Deputy Speaker confirmed.

“But the remaining 12 teenagers, mostly between 15 and 20, are still in the custody of the abductors whose location remains unknown.”

He emphasized that the incident highlights the persistent dangers confronting rural farming communities despite government efforts to restore peace.

Reacting to the situation, the Senator representing Borno South, Mohammed Ali Ndume, called on security agencies to intensify rescue operations and ensure the safe release of the girls.

Ndume urged local residents to continue praying for the safe return of the abducted teenagers and to support authorities with timely intelligence on suspicious insurgent activities.

This latest abduction further adds to the growing list of ISWAP assaults targeting farmers, rural women, and young girls in the North-East as the insurgents continue exploiting vulnerable communities during the harvest season.