Reports say Boko Haram terrorists have abducted staff of the United Nations, Garba Idris, along the Damaturu-Maiduguri Road in Borno state.
The report adds that the terrorists attacked some commuters near Matari village between Minok and Jakana around 8:30am before proceeding to abduct Garba who was said to be on a private trip from Damaturu when the incident happened.
It was gathered that the terrorists stormed the highway in military uniforms and mounted a roadblock on the highway with 3 Hilux vans and motorcycles.
Garba’s abduction occurred despite heightened security presence in the area. The insurgents took advantage of the troops and mounted their check point in an unusual location in Minok, instead of its normal route located around Garin Kuturu in Jakana.
An eyewitness giving an account said “while searching the passengers, Idris attempted to throw away his Indentification card but in the process, one of the terrorists sighted him. He was then asked to step down from the vehicle along with two other passengers, while the rest of the passengers were ask to continue with their journey.
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“The two passengers were later released on the ground that they are very poor people and have no use to be abducted”.
The Maiduguri-Damaturu has been a hotspot of abduction by Boko Haram in recent times making the route a very dangerous and risky path for commuters.
Recall that on December 14, the terrorists abducted Emmanuel Peter, a humanitarian aid worker with the United Nations World Food Program, alongside his friend on the same route.
Also, on December 19 2020, the terrorists who were on 5 gun trucks abducted about 35 commuters in Garin Kuturu near-Jakana,
In recent years, the North-East region has been ravaged with insecurity accompanied with killings, kidnappings, cattle rustling, and armed robbery.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
