Twelve young women and girls abducted in Borno state on 22 November have been safely rescued over the week-end by the Nigerian Army. They are receiving medical care and psychological support before reunification with their families.
The abductions, carried out by Boko Haram and ISWAP, occurred near farms in a known jihadist area. Borno remains a hotspot in Nigeria’s 16-year insurgency, and recent kidnappings, including over 300 children in the Niger Delta, have prompted President Bola Tinubu to declare a security emergency and deploy additional security forces to tackle armed groups.