ISWAP abducts ‘four truck drivers’ in Borno, demands ransom

Four firewood truck drivers have been reportedly abducted by suspected fighters of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) at Ngwom village in Mafa, Borno state. 

The drivers were conveying labourers, mostly wood fellers and loaders, to the bush when the armed terrorists intercepted them on Saturday.

According to reports, the terrorists approached the drivers under the guise of needing their services to convey their members to a nearby village.

However, two of the gunmen came and informed the labourers that the drivers had been kidnapped and wouldn’t be released until each of them paid a ransom of N250,000.

“When we tried to plead with them for mercy, one of them said we should leave immediately,” said Abba, one of the labourers.

“We were lucky because they have reviewed their policy of targeting poor labourers for kidnapping.”

The kidnapped drivers were identified as Rawana, Isa, Ba’ana, and Bashir.

“Families of the victims are hesitant to report to the police because they often resort to secret crowdfunding to raise the necessary ransom money. The terrorists have threatened to carry out violence if the relatives failed to deliver the money on time,” a local security source, Babangida Musa, said.

TheCable had reported how ISWAP abducted three aid workers and two security guards during an attack on the Family Health International (FHI360) guest house in Gamboru Ngala, Borno on April 26.

In 2022, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said many aid workers have either died, been injured, or kidnapped in north-east Nigeria.