Suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgents have abducted the wife of a pastor and her three children along the Damasak-Kareto road in Mobbar Local Government Area of Borno State.
The victims, whose identities have not been made public, were travelling from Maiduguri to Damasak on Saturday when armed men intercepted their commercial vehicle near Kareto village.
According to community sources, the attack occurred around noon as the vehicle approached the town.
The woman is the wife of Pastor Moses G. Guguma of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN). She had reportedly just been discharged from a hospital in Maiduguri after receiving treatment for a prolonged illness before setting out on the journey with her children.
A community source said the attackers stopped the vehicle and ordered the pastor’s wife and her three children to step out, while allowing the driver and the other passengers to continue.
“The terrorists intercepted the commercial vehicle near Kareto village and singled out the pastor’s wife and her three children. They ordered them to disembark before taking them away, leaving everyone else behind,” the source said.
The whereabouts of the four family members remain unknown.
A resident, who requested anonymity for security reasons, appealed for prayers and support for the family, claiming the victims may have been specifically targeted because of their Christian faith.
Damasak, the headquarters of Mobbar Local Government Area in Borno North Senatorial District, lies about 156 kilometres from Maiduguri and has repeatedly come under attack from insurgent groups over the years.
As of the time of filing this report, security agencies had not issued an official statement on the abduction.
