The Secretary of Kukawa Local Government Area in Borno State, Abubakar Abaka Marte, has been abducted by suspected fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), security sources have confirmed.
Marte was kidnapped on Tuesday along with several other travellers by insurgents who mounted a fake checkpoint at Jigalta village, located along the Maiduguri–Monguno highway, about 135 kilometres from the state capital.
According to the sources, who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the incident, the victims were taken to an unknown location, and the abductors have not made contact with either the authorities or the victims’ families as of the time of filing this report.
The abduction underscores a growing trend of highway kidnappings by ISWAP and Boko Haram insurgents in the northeastern state. The two factions have intensified attacks targeting civilians and government officials in recent months.
On June 1, suspected Boko Haram militants abducted 13 travellers, including eight women and an infant, along the Gwoza–Maiduguri highway. The victims were eventually released after seven weeks in captivity, with no ransom demanded, according to local sources.
Security operatives have since launched search and rescue efforts in the affected axis, though no official statement has been issued by the Borno State Government or the military regarding the latest abduction.
