The Islamic State in West African Province (ISWAP) terrorists have contacted families of 13 teenage female farmers abducted in Borno State, demanding a N10 million ransom for their release.
The abduction occurred on Saturday, November 22, 2025, when the terrorists seized the young female farmers from their agricultural activities. The incident has thrown the local community into what relatives describe as a very difficult situation.
How the Terrorists Communicated Their Demands
According to family members who spoke with journalists, the kidnappers used a calculated strategy to communicate their ransom demands. A relative of one victim revealed that the terrorists deliberately released one of the abducted females after discovering she was a breastfeeding mother.
Before her release, the insurgents confiscated her phone and provided her with a new SIM card, instructing her to insert it into a phone upon reaching home. Immediately after she followed these instructions, the terrorists called through the new number and made their N10 million ransom demand.
Police Response and Security Situation
The Borno State Police spokesman, ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso, stated that he was not immediately aware of the development when contacted by journalists. However, he assured the community of the police force's commitment to ensuring the safe return of the abducted teenagers.
This incident occurs against a backdrop of increasing security challenges in northern Nigeria. Just days earlier, operatives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command repelled a kidnapping attempt in Guto village, Bwari Area Council, where approximately 30 bandits attempted to abduct a resident and his family.
Pattern of Attacks on Educational Institutions
The abduction of teenage farmers follows a disturbing pattern of attacks targeting young Nigerians. Recently, terrorists attacked Maga Comprehensive Girls' Secondary School in Kebbi State, abducting several students and killing one staff member while injuring the school principal and a security guard.
Meanwhile, in a related development, security forces recorded a success when troops of Operation Whirl Stroke and Operation Zafin Wuta arrested a suspected kidnapper in Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State while he was negotiating a N20 million ransom.
The communities affected by these incidents are calling for urgent intervention from both state and federal governments to address the escalating security crisis and ensure the safe return of all abducted citizens.
