Analysis – 70 days after hope dims for Unimaid lecturers
The Nigerian Defence Headquarters has said the military are making efforts to rescue the four lecturers of the University of Maiduguri that were abducted by the Islamic terrorist group, Boko Haram, in Borno State, a spokesperson has said.
The DHQ’s spokesperson, Major-General John Enenche said, “intelligence is still being processed to bring the victims back and alive.”
According to Enenche, the military was being careful because Boko Haram might use the lecturers as human shields.
“Efforts are on. When we get information, we convert it to intelligence. The ultimate is that the Federal Government and the military are doing as much as possible to ensure that these people come out alive.” he said.
Enenche’s statement came seventy days after the lecturers were abducted during an oil exploration to the Lake Chad Basin area, in the state. The lecturers were abducted on Tuesday, July 25, 2017, as 48 persons were killed by the deadly terrorist group.
According to reports at the University of Maiduguri, where the corpses were taken, the deceased included 18 soldiers, 15 civilian Joint Task Force members, five workers of the university and four drivers with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
One of the abducted lecturers, identified as Solomon Yusuf, had on September 5, written a letter to his wife, Hannatu, from the terrorists’ den which was obtained by an online medium, Sahara Reporters.
A reign of kidnaps
Recall that in 2009, Boko Haram launched attack on the the country has carried out various nefarious activities, including kidnapping and killings, especially in the North-eastern part of the country.
On April 30 this year, Boko haram raided the village of Pulka near the border with Cameroon. On that same day, another attack occurred outside the village of Dumba, close to Lake Chad. The terrorists killed a herdsman who had tried to escape after refusing to pay protection money, according to eye witness, one Adamu Ahmed, a member of an anti-Boko Haram militia, and abducted four women from the man’s family.
On June 20, 2017, Boko Haram released a video, claiming they had kidnapped of some female police officers, after an ambush on a police convoy on the Maiduguri-Biu highway. Three people were killed while 16 women were abducted.
Then on July 25, 2017, over 40 people, comprising of 16 CJTF members, 20 soldiers and five UNIMAID, staff were killed, and scores injured while four UNIMAID staff were abducted after participating in an oil exploration mission around Bornoyesu village of Magumeri LGA of Borno state.
