SUSPECTED Boko Haram insurgents have abducted the newly elected Vice Chairman of Biu Local Government Area and two councillors in Borno State, barely five days after they emerged victorious in the recently concluded local government council elections.
News Point Nigeria gathered that the abduction occurred on Wednesday evening along the Kamuya–Buni Yadi road, a notorious stretch linking parts of Borno and Yobe states that has witnessed repeated attacks by insurgents and criminal elements.
Sources close to the families of the victims identified the Vice Chairman as Alhaji Saidu, while the two councillors were said to be representing Zarawuyaku and Miringa wards of Biu Local Government Area.
This newspaper learnt that the victims were among passengers travelling in a Hizbah hummer bus from Potiskum, Yobe State, to Biu when their vehicle was intercepted by armed men believed to be Boko Haram or Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters.
Confirming the incident, a family source said the attackers stopped the vehicle between Kamuya village and Buni Yadi before forcibly whisking the officials and several other passengers to an unknown destination.
“It’s true. Alhaji Saidu and the two councillors were abducted by suspected Boko Haram or ISWAP terrorists between Kamuya village and the Buni Yadi road,” the source said.
“They were taken alongside some other unidentified passengers who were travelling in an Hizbah vehicle from Potiskum to Biu. One of the councillors abducted was the immediate past Vice Chairman of Biu Local Government.”
The source appealed to both the federal and Borno State governments, as well as security agencies, to intensify rescue operations to secure the safe release of the abducted officials and other captives.
“We are appealing to the government and security agencies to act swiftly to rescue them and the other passengers alive,” he added.
Efforts to obtain official confirmation from the Borno State Police Command were unsuccessful.
The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso, could not be reached as his phone line was unavailable, and text messages sent to him were not returned as of press time.
