Members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have abducted 13 teenage female farmers in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.
The Deputy Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abdullahi Askira, confirmed the incident, stating that the girls were seized while working on their farmlands in the Mussa district.
Askira, who represents the Askira-Uba constituency, said the victims—aged between 15 and 20—had gone to harvest their crops when the insurgents attacked.
He explained that both Huyim and Mussa are farming communities in the LGA, but residents of Huyim were relocated to Mussa due to security concerns.
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“The victims are among those relocated to the relatively peaceful community of Mussa to earn their livelihoods through joint community farming,” he said.
He added that one of the abducted girls managed to escape and was reunited with her family on Sunday morning, while the remaining 12 are still missing.
Reacting to the development, the Senator representing Borno South, Mohammed Ali Ndume, urged security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the victims safely.
He also appealed to residents to remain vigilant, provide timely information to security operatives, and continue praying for the safe return of the abducted teenagers
