Boko Haram Abducts 319 Female IDPs in Borno

Boko Haram insurgents have reportedly abducted 319 female internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ngala, the headquarters of Gambarou Ngala in Borno State. The abduction occurred last Sunday when the women went to fetch firewood in the bush for domestic and commercial purposes, according to a source from the Babban Sansani IDPs camp.

While a security source confirmed the abduction, stating the number as around 113, the source from the IDPs camp insisted that 319 young girls and some boys were taken. Three girls managed to escape, revealing that they were taken to a bush close to Bukar-mairam village in Chad republic.

Most of the abducted girls were from Babban Sansani camp, with others from Zulum and Arabic camps. Economic pressures, including difficulties in obtaining sufficient food from the camp, reportedly drove the IDPs to venture into unsafe areas despite security warnings.

This marks one of the major abductions in Borno since the infamous kidnapping of 276 girls from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, in 2014. The security situation in the region continues to pose significant challenges, with economic hardships pushing vulnerable populations into perilous situations.