Suspected ISWAP Terrorists Kidnap Aid Workers, Security Guards In Borno

Suspected members of the Islamic State of the West African Province (ISWAP) have reportedly abducted two security guards and three humanitarian workers of the Family Health International, FHI 360, in Borno State.

FHI 360 is a US-based non-profit human development and non-governmental organisation, NGO, dedicated to improving the health and well-being of the people.

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Channels Television gathered that the three male workers were missing from the guest house where they live in Ngala, a border town at the fringes of Lake Chad.

Although it is suspected they were abducted by terrorists, the military and police authorities are yet to react to the incident.

But a source told Channels Television that the two other security guards working for Halogen security company attached to the FHI 360 were also missing on the same night at the same lodge where the humanitarian aids were abducted.

“They are our staff; we woke up on Wednesday morning and couldn’t find them. we live together in the lodge, but we did not hear any sound or noise that would have raised alarm over the night,” the source, who is a health professional with the FHI 360 in Ngala, said.

“We suspect they are abducted by Boko Haram because there was a similar occurrence in April 2022 when the staff of MSF were abducted by the terrorists, and we only got to know about it days later.

“The identities of the missing humanitarian workers are known but I cannot disclose their names because their families are yet to be contacted.

“There are other staff living in the lodge but only the three of them were missing. It was the other staff that raised the alarm when they couldn’t see them in the morning.”

Cases of abduction and insecurity seem to be on the rise in Borno State after years of relative peace. Early this year, a pastor was kidnapped by Boko Haram in Gamboru and he is still in captivity.