By Franklin Adole
Tension has engulfed communities in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State after members of the Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) abducted several teenage girls working on farmlands in the Mussa district.
The Deputy Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abdullahi Askira, confirmed the attack, stating that the victims, 13 girls aged between 15 and 20, were seized on Saturday while harvesting crops. Armed militants reportedly ambushed them and vanished into the surrounding bush.
Askira, who represents the Askira-Uba constituency, said the girls were among residents earlier relocated from the vulnerable community of Huyim to the relatively safer Mussa area due to persistent insecurity. The teenagers were participating in a joint community farming programme meant to support displaced households.
“One of the victims managed to escape and has been reunited with her family this morning,” the Deputy Speaker said. “But the remaining 12 teenagers are still in the custody of the abductors whose location is yet unknown.”
He noted that the attack highlights the unrelenting dangers facing rural farming communities despite ongoing government efforts to restore peace.
Reacting to the incident, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume urged security agencies to intensify search-and-rescue operations to secure the release of the abducted girls. He called on residents to remain vigilant, offer timely intelligence, and continue praying for the victims’ safe return.
The latest attack adds to a worrying rise in ISWAP assaults targeting farmers, women, and young girls across the North-East, as insurgents increasingly exploit rural communities during the harvest season.