Thirteen teenage girls have been abducted by fighters of the Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) in the Askira-Uba LGA of Borno state.
The victims, aged between 15 and 20, were seized while harvesting crops on communal farmlands in the Mussa district on Sunday.
Abdullahi Askira, deputy speaker of the Borno state house of assembly, confirmed the attack.
Askira said the girls were among displaced residents originally from Huyim and resettled in Mussa by the government due to persistent insecurity in the area.
“One of the victims managed to escape and has since been reunited with her family,” he said. “But the remaining 12 are still in captivity, and the abductors’ whereabouts remain unknown.”
Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south, called on security agencies to intensify search-and-rescue efforts and ensure the safe return of the missing teenagers.
He also urged residents to remain vigilant, pray for the victims, and promptly report suspicious movements.
The abduction adds to a troubling rise in mass kidnappings across Nigeria, particularly in the north.
Nigeria has faced more than a decade of sustained insurgent violence, with the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction marking a turning point.
In recent weeks alone, multiple large-scale kidnappings have shaken the country.
On November 21, 2025, over 300 students and teachers were kidnapped from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger state—the biggest abduction since Chibok.
Days earlier, 25 schoolgirls were taken from a government school in Kebbi state. On November 18, armed men stormed Christ Apostolic Church, Oke Isegun, in Eruku, Kwara state, abducting 38 worshippers and killing the pastor and several others.
The surge in attacks has intensified calls for decisive action to address Nigeria’s deepening security crisis.
