Thirteen girls were abducted on Sunday after Boko Haram militants attacked a farmland in Huyim, a community in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, Chronicle Reporters has learned.
A local source who spoke to Peoples Gazette said the insurgents stormed the farm while the girls were harvesting crops and whisked them away.
“Thirteen girls were abducted on a farm in Huyim, Askira/Uba Local Government Area,” the source said, adding that one of the victims miraculously escaped and returned home.
The escapee is now providing critical information to security officials and family members as efforts intensify to locate the remaining captives.
Attempts to reach the Borno State police spokesperson, Nahum Daso, were unsuccessful as calls to his mobile phone went unanswered. However, the Deputy Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Abdullahi Askira, confirmed the incident to Daily Trust.
A senior government official in the state also verified the abduction on the condition of anonymity, citing lack of authorization to speak publicly.
The attack adds to a renewed spike in insurgent activities across parts of Borno, where communities engaged in farming remain frequent targets of Boko Haram factions.
Security forces are yet to issue an official statement on ongoing rescue efforts.