13 teenage female farmers on Sunday were abducted by members of the Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) in Askira-Uba, in Borno State.
This incident adds to a week tagged by many Nigerians as “a week of mass kidnappings” across the North-West and North-Central regions, driving several state governments to close boarding schools as a protective measure aimed towards mitigating potential attacks.
The Borno abduction occurred in the Mussa farming district, where the victims, aged between 15 and 20, were harvesting crops for personal and commercial use. The Borno State Deputy Speaker, Abdullahi Askira, confirmed the new abduction, stressing the vulnerability of the victims:
The 13 abductees who are between the ages of 15 and 20 went to their farmland in Mussa farming area to harvest their crops when the assailants took them away
The attack adds to the latest series of mass abductions that has put strain to normal activities, particularly to the northern region. Notably, among the attacks, is the mass abduction of students and staff from a Catholic school in Niger State, where 51 captives have since escaped, leaving over 260 still missing. The abduction of dozens of schoolgirls in Kebbi State, whose location the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, claims security forces have identified, added more “salts” to the already existing”injurious” situations. And also the raid on a church in Kwara State, where 38 abducted worshippers were rescued on Sunday.
The surge in violence continued despite warnings from the United States President Donald Trump, who has threatened military action over what he calls the persecution of Christians in Nigeria, a claim the Federal Government of Nigeria rejected severally.
President Bola Tinubu, who has been relentless about the security threats in the country, via his verified X account, stressed his commitment towards securing the nation from the activities of these unscrupulous non-states actors;
I am closely monitoring the security situation nationwide and receiving continuous updates from the frontline. Let me be clear: I will not relent. Every Nigerian, in every state, has the right to safety and under my watch, we will secure this nation and protect our people
The Presidency sees the successful rescue in Kwara and the escape of 51 students in Niger State, as the commitment of the government towards resolving the security mayhem in the country. However, the new ISWAP abduction in Borno and the mass school closures by Northern governors, paints a different picture.
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