Fighters believed to be from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) kidnapped 13 teenage girls from farms in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State on Sunday.
The girls were taken from farmlands in Mussa district while they were harvesting crops, the deputy speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Abdullahi Askira, told reporters when he confirmed the abduction. Officials said the victims are teenagers, some said to be between about 15 and 20 years old.
Local accounts say the attackers arrived in military-style groups, rounded up the girls and moved into nearby bush areas. At least one report said one girl managed to escape and alert villagers, who then informed security forces.
Troops and police were dispatched to the area and began searches on Sunday, local sources said. Security agencies have opened an inquiry and are working with community leaders to find the girls and secure the district.
The kidnapping follows a string of mass abductions in northern Nigeria in recent days, including the seizure of schoolgirls in Kebbi State; events that have increased fear across the region and put extra pressure on security forces to act fast.
Relatives and community leaders called for calm and urged security authorities to move quickly. Officials asked anyone with information to contact the nearest security post as rescue efforts continue.
