Boko Haram terrorists
A fresh wave of anxiety has gripped communities in Borno State after suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP fighters stormed a farmland in Askira/Uba Local Government Area and abducted 14 girls—an attack that further deepens Nigeria’s unsettling rise in mass kidnappings.
The incident, which occurred on November 22 around 3:30 p.m., adds to a disturbing pattern of coordinated assaults by terrorist and bandit groups across the country.
In recent days alone, more than 350 pupils were seized from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, while 25 schoolgirls from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga were abducted by armed bandits in parts of Kebbi State. Now, with the abduction of teenage girls in Borno, many fear that the country is sliding into a new wave of targeted kidnappings for ransom, exploitation and psychological warfare.
In a statement released on Sunday in Maiduguri, the Borno State Police Command confirmed that one of the abducted girls had luckily escaped and was rescued by the joint security team combing the area.
The command’s spokesperson, ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso, explained that the police received distress reports from the District Head of Huyum, who said the girls—all from Mussa District—were attacked while working on their family farm.
He said security agencies immediately mobilised.
“During the operation, one of the abducted girls managed to escape unharmed and was rescued. Search-and-rescue efforts are ongoing to recover the remaining 13 abducted girls,” Daso stated.
The Commissioner of Police, Naziru Abdulmajid, urged communities to stay alert and work closely with security operatives as intensified rescue efforts continue.
He also encouraged farmers and rural dwellers to operate within areas regularly covered by patrol teams and to maintain heightened vigilance as more intelligence-led operations unfold.
Abdulmajid assured the public that the command would provide updates as soon as significant progress is made.
As Nigeria grapples with a surge in mass abductions—from schools to farmlands—the plight of the missing girls in Borno has once again drawn attention to the vulnerability of rural communities and the urgent need for stronger security architecture across the nation.
