By Umar Babangida
Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have abducted the newly elected Vice Chairman and two councillors of Biu Local Government Area of Borno State along the Kamuya–Buni Yadi road.
Sources close to the victims’ families identified the Vice Chairman as Alhaji Saidu, while the two councillors represent Zarawuyaku and Miringa wards.
A source disclosed that the incident occurred on Wednesday evening and also involved other travellers who were on board a Hizbah Hummer bus.
According to Daily Trust, the abductees were elected into office five days earlier during last Saturday’s local government council elections.
“It is true that Alhaji Saidu and the two councillors were abducted by suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists between Kamuya village and the Buni Yadi axis,” the source said.
“They were kidnapped alongside some unidentified passengers travelling in a Hizbah vehicle from Potiskum in Yobe State to Biu. One of the councillors abducted is a former Vice Chairman of Biu Local Government Area. We are appealing to the government and security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue them and other captives safely.”
Efforts to obtain official confirmation proved unsuccessful, as the Police Public Relations Officer of the Borno State Command, ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso, could not be reached. Calls placed to his phone went unanswered, and text messages sent to him were not replied to as of the time of filing this report.