Iswap terrorists reported to have waylaid army convoy and abducted brigade commander

ARMED terrorists believed to be members of the dreaded Islamic State West Africa Province (Iswap) have carried out a daring raid in northeast Nigeria in an attack that resulted in the death of several soldiers and the abduction of a brigade commander.

In the first such case of abduction in Nigeria, the terrorists successfully ambushed a military convoy in Borno State, taking the soldiers and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) by surprise. According to online news portal HumAngle, the insurgents reportedly abducted a serving brigade commander along with other military personnel.

Apparently, the insurgents, who were heavily armed and highly organised, targeted the convoy in what appears to be a coordinated strike, creating panic in the region. If confirmed, this would mark the first time an extremist group in Nigeria has successfully captured a serving army general directly from the frontline.

For now, the Nigerian Army has yet to release an official statement on the attack or confirm the fate of the abducted officer. Of late, Iswap and Boko Haram appear to be enjoying a resurgence across Borno State in particular as there has been an escalation in their activities over recent weeks.

Recently, Senator Ali Ndume, the lawmaker representing Borno South, had condemned the renewed wave of terrorist attacks in parts of his constituency, describing the situation as deeply worrisome and unacceptable. On Thursday, he said four farmers were gruesomely murdered by Boko Haram insurgents while working on their farmlands in Kwam village, near the Dille community in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.