The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has reportedly killed a professor of the Nigerian Army University, Biu, Prof. Abubakar el-Jumma, following a targeted abduction believed to have been carefully planned by the insurgent group.
Security analyst Zagazola Makama disclosed the development, stating that intelligence indicated the professor was deliberately singled out by the attackers.
According to him, the assailants were not random gunmen but suspected ISWAP terrorists who had prior knowledge of the academic.
Makama further revealed that ISWAP allegedly contacted the professor’s family directly to announce his death, adding that burial rites had already been conducted in territory under the group’s control.
He also stated that the insurgents reportedly possessed a photograph of the academic before carrying out the operation, a detail he said highlighted the premeditated nature of the attack.
“The evidence suggests this was not a spontaneous kidnapping. The perpetrators had prior intelligence and carried out the mission with precision,” he said in a post on X on Thursday.
Meanwhile, military authorities reportedly confirmed that no ransom demand was made to the family, raising concerns that the motive extended beyond financial gain. Efforts to secure his release through informal channels were also said to have failed.
The incident occurred along the Maiduguri–Damboa highway in Borno State, a route long associated with insurgent activity.
As of the time of filing this report, authorities at the Nigerian Army University, Biu, had yet to issue an official statement on the killing.
