Armed ViolenceNews

Borno Government Confirms ISWAP Abduction Of 5 Officials

At least 5 staffers of the Borno state ministry of works were in the early hours of Wednesday abducted at a location near Chibok by suspected ISWAP gunmen who were dressed in full military gear.

Five officials of Borno state ministry of works were today, Dec. 1, 2021, abducted by gunmen believed to be members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) while on their way to inspect a road project near Chibok, a town in southern Borno state, Northeast Nigeria. 

Yerima Saleh, the Borno state commissioner for works, confirmed the development to HumAngle in a telephone interview.

He said the incident happened in the early hours of today. 

“Five of our staffers who were on their way to Chibok on an inspection duty were this morning abducted by suspected terrorists who disguised in military uniform,” he said. Three of our project vehicles, a Toyota Hilux Van, and two Tippers were also taken away by the gunmen.”


The Commissioner said the attack happened at Wovi, a village between Damboa and Chibok.

He said the Damboa-Chibok road, a federal government abandoned highway project under construction by the Borno state government, has been ongoing in the past three years. 

Though the abductors have made no contact, the Commissioner added that he has since briefed the state Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, and the Governor is “deeply worried” by the development. 

Though the Damboa and Chibok axis, which share direct borders with Sambisa forest was once known as the stronghold of the late Abubakar Shekau-led Boko Haram, the recent terrorist activities have indicated that the factional ISWAP may have consolidated their control in the ungoverned locations. 

Two weeks ago, the Nigerian military lost a Brigade Commander stationed at Chibok town, alongside other commissioned officers and soldiers during an attack on nearby Askira Uba towns. The incident led to a violent counterattack by the military who reportedly gunned down many of the aggressors.


Support Our Journalism

There are millions of ordinary people affected by conflict in Africa whose stories are missing in the mainstream media. HumAngle is determined to tell those challenging and under-reported stories, hoping that the people impacted by these conflicts will find the safety and security they deserve.

To ensure that we continue to provide public service coverage, we have a small favour to ask you. We want you to be part of our journalistic endeavour by contributing a token to us.

Your donation will further promote a robust, free, and independent media.

Donate Here

Of course, we want our exclusive stories to reach as many people as possible and would appreciate it if you republish them. We only ask that you properly attribute to HumAngle, generally including the author's name, a link to the publication and a line of acknowledgement. Contact us for enquiries or requests.

Contact Us

Abdulkareem Haruna

Abdulkareem Haruna is a Nigerian journalist currently employed as the Editor for Lake Chad at HumAngle. For over a decade, he has demonstrated a passionate commitment to reporting on the Boko Haram conflict and the crisis in the Lake Chad region of northeastern Nigeria. He is a graduate of English Language and holds a Diploma in Mass Communications. Prior to his current role, he served as an assistant editor at both Premium Times and Leadership Newspaper.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Translate »