ISWAP Strikes Again: 13 Teenage Girls Kidnapped from Borno Farms, One Escapes

By Ademola Adekusibe
November 23, 2025

Members of the Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) have abducted 13 female teenagers from farmland in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, officials confirmed.

According to Rt. Hon. Abdullahi Askira, Deputy Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, the victims, aged between 15 and 20, were seized while harvesting crops in the Mussa district. The girls had been relocated there from Huyim, another farming community, due to prior security challenges in the area.

“One of the victims managed to escape and has been reunited with her family,” Abdullahi said. “The other 12 are still in the custody of the abductors, whose whereabouts remain unknown.”

Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, representing Borno South under the All Progressives Congress (APC), called on security agencies to intensify efforts for the safe rescue of the girls. He also urged residents to remain vigilant, report any suspicious movements, and continue praying for the victims.

The latest abduction comes amid a surge of mass kidnappings across Nigeria. Just two days earlier, over 300 students and 12 teachers were abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State. Earlier in the month, 25 schoolgirls were kidnapped in Kebbi State, and 38 worshippers were taken from Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Oke Isegun branch, in Eruku town, Kwara State.

These attacks highlight the ongoing security crisis in northern and central Nigeria, where terror groups continue to target students, farmers, and religious communities.

Security agencies have intensified patrols and are reportedly coordinating with local authorities in Borno to track the abductors and secure the release of the remaining victims.