Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
At least five civilians were reportedly abducted on Sunday night, February 14, 2026, during an attack on a local market in a rural community within Borno State’s conflict-plagued northeast region, informants and security sources say.
Sources in the area told reporters that suspected fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) stormed the open-air market in the evening hours, firing shots into the air to scatter traders and shoppers before seizing the victims. The assailants, witnesses said, operated in tactical formation and appeared to be familiar with the terrain, suggesting prior planning.
The victims are believed to be civilians who were trading in the market at the time of the raid. Their identities have not yet been officially disclosed, but local community leaders confirmed that the five kidnapped individuals include both men and women who were well-known within the area. Families of the missing have reported their abductions to local authorities and are appealing for swift rescue efforts.
Following the attack, residents said the militants withdrew into nearby bushland, which is consistent with known ISWAP and Boko Haram operating patterns in northeastern Nigeria. Such groups typically use forest corridors and uninhabited terrain near the Lake Chad basin as tactical safe havens and transit routes.
Security personnel from the Nigerian Army and the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) were reportedly alerted shortly after the raid and have since intensified patrols in surrounding areas in an effort to track and locate the abductors and the victims. However, military officials have not yet released a formal statement confirming the identities of the militants involved or the precise location of the incident.
Borno State has been the centre of an Islamist insurgency since 2009, primarily driven by Boko Haram and its splinter group ISWAP. The conflict has led to significant civilian displacement, frequent attacks on villages, and recurrent market raids similar to the one reported this week. In past years, both the Nigerian military and its regional counterparts have launched sustained operations to dismantle militant networks, including “Operation Hadin Kai,” which aims to degrade extremist capabilities in the Lake Chad region.
Local humanitarian and community leaders said the abduction has reignited fears among residents, particularly because markets are key economic lifelines for farmers, traders and families in rural Borno. Sunday market days have previously been attacks’ focal points, with militants seeking to maximise disruption and instil fear.
Human rights organisations and civil society groups have condemned the abduction and are calling for increased protection for communities in volatile border areas. “These repeated raids not only threaten lives but also cripple local economies and worsen food insecurity,” one rights advocate said.
The circumstances surrounding the victims’ current condition remain unclear. Families have appealed to the federal and state governments, as well as to national security agencies, to prioritise a rescue operation and ensure the safe return of the abducted civilians.
Until an official statement is released by the military or an authenticated claim of responsibility emerges from ISWAP channels, definitive attribution of the attack remains based on consistent historical patterns of militant activity in the region. Nigerian security officials continue to pursue those responsible while warning communities to remain vigilant and report credible intelligence to support counter-insurgency efforts.
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