ISWAP Kidnaps Three Humanitarian Workers, Security Guards In Borno

The Islamic State of the West African Province (ISWAP) has reportedly abducted three humanitarian workers and two security guards of the Family Health International (FHI360) in Borno State.

Naija News reports that FHI 360 is a US-based Non-profit Human Development and Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) dedicated to improving the health and well-being of people in the North East.

In a tweet via his Twitter handle on Wednesday, counter-insurgency expert, Zagazola Makama, said ISWAP fighters in their numbers invaded the NGO guest house in the early hours of Wednesday and whisked them away to an unknown destination.

The Security Analyst in the Lake region disclosed that the victims included three staff and two security guards.

Makama, however, said the organisation has not released any statement since the news of the abduction broke out.

This development comes a year after the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said many aid workers have either died, been injured, or been kidnapped in the North East.

Worry As ISWAP Step Up Plans To Deploy Drones For Attacks

There are fears that the dreaded Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) is preparing to deploy drones for attacks in the Lake Chad Basin.
This was made known in a report by the Institute For Security Studies (ISS), Naija News report.

According to ISS, ISWAP, in its attempt to carry out attacks undetected, plan to use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to fly improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to targeted locations in Nigeria and neighboring countries.

It noted that the Nigerian military had inflicted losses on Boko Haram factions, Jama’atu Ahlis-Sunna Lidda’Awati Wal-Jihad (JAS) and ISWAP, forcing the latter to re-strategize.

ISS report, comprising an analysis of propaganda materials and interviews with former combatants and associates, revealed an elaborate use of communication technology.

This includes satellite phones, drones, social media, high-speed printers, laptops, cameras, Wi-Fi, clip-on microphones, walkie-talkies, and data compression and archiving software.