Suspected Boko Haram insurgents carried out two violent assaults in Borno State over the weekend, abducting 12 women and destroying property in separate incidents that underscore the persistent insecurity in Nigeria’s Northeast.

On Saturday evening, gunmen seized 12 women in Mussa district, Askira-Uba LGA, as they returned from farmlands around 5:00 p.m. Police have launched a manhunt, but the victims remain missing.

In a related attack early on Sunday, insurgents stormed Magumeri LGA on motorcycles around 1:15 a.m., unleashing a two-hour assault during which homes, vehicles, and shops were set ablaze. Residents fled as joint security teams engaged the attackers, eventually repelling them by 3:00 a.m. No deaths were reported, though extensive property damage was confirmed.

Borno Police spokesperson ASP Nahum Daso verified both incidents, while Governor Babagana Zulum declared November 24 a statewide day of fasting and prayer, urging citizens to seek divine intervention against “sabotage and evil-doers.”

The attacks follow recent Nigerian Air Force airstrikes on Boko Haram positions in Sambisa Forest and a November 19 call by Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu for sustained vigilance under Operation Hadin Kai.

The abductions and destruction highlight the enduring threat posed by Boko Haram, even as military operations intensify, and reinforce the urgent need for both security measures and community resilience in Borno State.