Members of the Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) have reportedly abducted several female teenagers 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 victims were seized while working on their farms in Mussa district, according to Daily Trust.
Abdullahi, who represents the Askira-Uba constituency, explained that the 13 abducted girls, aged between 15 and 20, had gone to the farmland in the Mussa area to harvest crops when the assailants carried out the attack.
He further noted that Huyim and Mussa are both farming communities in Askira-Uba LGA, but residents of Huyim had been relocated to Mussa by the government due to security challenges in the area.
According to Abdullahi, the victims were among those relocated to the relatively peaceful community of Mussa, where they engaged in communal farming to earn a living.
“One of the victims managed to escape and had been reunited with her family on Sunday morning,” he said.
“But, the other 12 victims, mostly between the ages of 15 and 20 years, are still in the custody of the abductors whose whereabouts remain unknown.”
Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who represents Borno South, urged security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the abducted teenagers safely.
He also called on residents to continue praying for the victims’ safe return and to promptly report any suspicious movements of terrorists in their communities to the authorities.
Mass abductions have plagued Nigeria for over a decade, beginning with Boko Haram’s infamous 2014 Chibok kidnappings.
Over 300 students and teachers were abducted in Niger State, Nigeria, on Friday, November 21, 2025, in one of the country’s largest mass kidnappings. The attack targeted St. Mary’s Catholic School and has sparked nationwide and international outrage.
Initial reports indicated that 215 pupils had been abducted, but the figure was later revised to 303 students and 12 teachers.
This attack followed another abduction just days earlier in Kebbi State, where 25 schoolgirls were kidnapped.
In mid-November 2025, Nigeria suffered two major abductions. Twenty-five schoolgirls were kidnapped from Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Maga, Danko in Kebbi State on November 17.
On November 18, 38 worshippers were abducted from Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Oke Isegun branch, Eruku town, Ekiti Local Government Area, Kwara State.
Around 10 armed men invaded during evening service, opening fire on worshippers. Several worshippers were killed, including the pastor.
