22/07/2025
ISWAP abducts Kukawa LG Secretary
The secretary of Kukawa local government was on Tuesday kidnapped by insurgents from IS-affiliated Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) along with other travellers in northeast Nigeria's Borno state, security sources told Tellwell.
Abubakar Abaka Marte was among several travellers seized by the insurgents at a bogus checkpoint in Jigalta village along the 135-kilometre Maiduguri - Monguno highway, the security sources said.
The hostages were taken to an unknown location by their captors who were yet to establish contact with either authorities or families of the captives, said the security sources who asked not to be identified.
ISWAP and rival Boko Haram insurgent groups have intensified abduction of travellers on highways in Borno state.
On June 1, Boko Haram militants kidnapped 13 travellers, including eight women and an infant, along Gwoza - Maiduguri highway, Tellwell exclusively gathered.
Tellwell learnt that all the 13 kidnapped travellers were released after seven weeks in captivity without ransom demand.
