Tragedy has befallen the Nigerian Army University, Biu, Borno State, following the death of Professor Abubakar Mohammed El-Jummah, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, who reportedly died while in the custody of Boko Haram insurgents after spending nearly one year in captivity.
Professor El-Jummah was abducted on March 3, 2025, along the volatile Damaturu–Buni Yadi–Biu highway, a route long notorious for insurgent attacks, ambushes, and kidnappings in Nigeria’s North-East region.
Since his abduction, the respected academic remained in the hands of the terrorists until reports emerged that he fell ill and died while still in captivity.
Sources close to the family disclosed that the devastating news was formally communicated to his relatives on Wednesday in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, throwing the family into deep mourning.
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In honour of the late professor, a funeral prayer in absentia (Salatul Ga’ib) was held on Thursday, February 12, 2026, at about 2:00 p.m. at the Ngomari Old Airport Juma’at Mosque, located near his residence in the Maiduguri metropolis.
The solemn gathering attracted a large turnout of sympathisers, including academics, colleagues, students, friends, and community members, all of whom came to pay their last respects and offer prayers for his soul.
A family member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the prolonged ordeal endured by the late academic. “The late professor had been in Boko Haram captivity from March 2, 2025 until his death. May Allah forgive him and grant him mercy,” the source said.
The family, however, declined to reveal whether any ransom demands were made during the period of his captivity.
Professor El-Jummah’s death has once again underscored the persistent insecurity challenges confronting parts of Nigeria’s North-East, particularly along major highways vulnerable to insurgent activities.
His passing represents not only a painful loss to his immediate family but also to the academic community and the nation at large, as colleagues remember him as a dedicated scholar and administrator whose life was tragically cut short.