Professor Abubakar Mohammed El-Jummah died in Boko Haram captivity after nearly a year, militants buried him, and insurgents informed his family later.
Boko Haram militants kidnapped Professor Abubakar Mohammed El-Jummah, the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology at the Nigerian Army University Biu in Borno State, on March 2, 2025, while he traveled along the perilous Damaturu-Buni Yadi-Biu road.
The boko haram held the academic for almost a year, during which he reportedly fell ill due to harsh conditions and succumbed around 2:45 a.m. on February 11, 2026.
Instead of releasing his body, the militants buried him themselves and only then notified his grieving family in Maiduguri.
Family members organized a Salat al-Ghaib, or funeral prayer in absentia, on February 12 at the Ngomari Old Airport Juma’at Mosque near his home, drawing colleagues, sympathizers, and community leaders to mourn the loss.
Moreover, the tragedy quickly ignited widespread outrage online, with a viral X post from user @VillageParrot
amplifying the story by labeling El-Jummah a “top soldier” and blasting President Bola Tinubu’s administration for unprecedented incompetence in handling security threats.
However, experts clarify that El-Jummah served as a civilian academic at the military-affiliated university, not an active soldier, though the mislabeling underscores public frustration with kidnappings in the northeast.
In addition, this incident highlights Boko Haram’s ongoing grip on the region, where the group has abducted thousands since 2009, leading to over 35,000 deaths and displacing millions, according to United Nations reports.
Security forces have launched operations, yet critics argue the government fails to protect key figures and civilians alike.
Furthermore, reactions poured in from across social media, with users like @MercyAgera lamenting that such horrors persist until high-profile officials face similar fates, while @GloriaOzoh
called it a “national discovery” of incompetence.
Meanwhile, advocacy groups urge renewed efforts to dismantle terrorist networks and secure volatile highways.
As Nigeria grapples with this loss, El-Jummah’s death serves as a stark reminder of the human toll in the fight against extremism.
