Nigeria: 13 Farmers Kidnapped in Borno State amid Rising Abductions

Edited By: Tendai Zola

At least 13 farmers have been abducted in northeastern Nigeria, an area long affected by a jihadist insurgency, local authorities told AFP on Saturday.

Abba Abbari, head of the Konduga local government area in Borno State, said that unidentified armed men attacked the village of Malari around midnight on Friday (23:00 GMT), kidnapping 14 onion farmers. One of the victims later managed to escape, bringing the number of confirmed abductees to 13.

According to Tijjani Ahmed, a local commander of the Civilian Joint Task Force — a militia that supports the army in combating jihadist groups — the kidnappers have already made contact and are demanding a ransom.

Nigeria has faced mass abductions for more than 15 years. In the northwest and central regions, criminal gangs carry out kidnappings for ransom, while in the northeast, jihadist fighters are also behind numerous attacks. In recent weeks, hundreds of people have been abducted across several states, including more than 300 students and teachers taken from a boarding school in the west of the country on November 21.