12 Female teenagers goes missing in Borno while harvesting crops, reports link disappearance to ISWAP

Members of the Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) have reportedly abducted several teenage girls 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, saying the victims were taken while working on their farms in Mussa district, Daily Trust reports.

Abdullahi, who represents Askira-Uba constituency, explained that 13 girls, aged between 15 and 20, had gone to the farmland in Mussa to harvest crops when the attackers struck.

He added 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 concerns.

The abducted girls were among those relocated, working on communal farms to earn a living.

“One of the victims managed to escape and has been reunited with her family as of Sunday morning,” Abdullahi said.

“However, the other 12 girls are still in the custody of their abductors, and their whereabouts remain unknown,” he added.

Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who represents Borno South, urged security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the girls safely.

He also called on residents to continue praying for the victims’ safe return and to report any suspicious movements in their communities.

Mass abductions have plagued Nigeria for over a decade, starting with Boko Haram’s notorious 2014 Chibok kidnappings.

Recent weeks have seen a surge in such attacks. Over 300 students and teachers were abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State on November 21, 2025, in one of the largest mass kidnappings in the country.

Initially reported as 215 pupils, later updates put the number at 303 students and 12 teachers.

Just days earlier, 25 schoolgirls were kidnapped from Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Maga, Danko in Kebbi State on November 17.

Additionally, on November 18, 38 worshippers were abducted from Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Oke Isegun branch, Eruku town, Ekiti LGA, Kwara State.

The gunmen invaded during evening service, opening fire on worshippers, killing several including the pastor.

These incidents highlight the ongoing insecurity and growing threat of terrorist and bandit attacks across Nigeria.

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