Professor Abubakar Mohammed El-Jummah, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology at the Nigerian Army University, Biu, Borno State, has died while in the custody of Boko Haram militants, nearly a year after his abduction.
Professor El-Jummah was kidnapped on March 3, 2025, along the troubled Damaturu–Buni Yadi–Biu road. He reportedly remained in captivity until falling ill and succumbing to his condition.
The news of his death was communicated to his family in Maiduguri on Wednesday, February 11, 2026. In response, a Salatul Ga’ib (funeral prayer in absentia) was held on Thursday, February 12, at the Ngomari Old Airport Juma’at Mosque, near his residence in Maiduguri.
A family relative, who requested anonymity, told Vanguard that Professor El-Jummah had been in Boko Haram custody from March 2, 2025, until his death, adding, “May Allah forgive him and grant him mercy.”
The relative declined to comment on whether the terrorists had demanded a ransom during the period of captivity.
The funeral prayer attracted numerous sympathizers, colleagues from academia, and friends of the late professor, reflecting the profound impact he had on his community.
Vanguard
