THIS DAWN — Thirteen teenage female farmers were abducted on Sunday by fighters of the Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, few days after the abduction of students of 25 students of Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, Kebbi State.
The abduction sparked renewed fears over escalating insecurity in the region.
The victims, all young girls working on farmlands in the remote Mussa District, were seized in broad daylight by armed militants who stormed the area on motorcycles.
The Deputy Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Hon. Abdullahi Askira, confirmed the attack.
Hon. Askira described it as another devastating reminder of the vulnerability of rural communities caught in the crosshairs of insurgent activities.
According to him, the girls had gone to their farms early in the morning when the terrorists surrounded the fields and whisked them away before help could arrive.
Local sources report that the attackers operated unhindered, capitalising on the limited security presence in the district.
Residents say the incident has thrown the community into panic, forcing many farmers to abandon their fields at the peak of the harvest season.
Rural farming communities have long been targets of both Boko Haram and ISWAP factions.
Those militants view unprotected farmlands as fertile grounds for ambush, forced labour, and mass abductions.
Teenage girls and women for terrorists
The latest kidnapping is reminiscent of several similar attacks across Borno and neighbouring states.
Teenage girls and women remain prime targets for terrorist groups seeking to expand their ranks through forced recruitment or ransom-driven captivity.
Advocacy groups warn that these incidents, often underreported, contribute to the rising number of missing persons in the North-East.
Security analysts say ISWAP’s growing boldness reflects gaps in the counterinsurgency effort.
This is especially so in remote councils like Askira-Uba where communities rely heavily on self-defence groups.
They caution that without stronger protection for farming zones, food production in the region could suffer further setbacks.
Deputy Speaker Askira called on the military and federal authorities to intensify operations around the Mussa axis and prioritise the safe rescue of the abducted girls.
“Our communities cannot continue to live in fear. These children must be found,” he stated.
Presently, families and friends are eagerly waiting for news of their missing daughters and friends.
The attack underscores the persistent human toll of a conflict now in its fifteenth year, with no clear end in sight.
