Oil prospectors abducted by Boko Haram militants during an attack in Magumeri in Northern Borno State on Tuesday were officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and some members of staff of the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) who had gone to make a final collection of soil samples in preparation for oil exploration in the area.
The group was traveling in a convoy of eight Hilux vans under the protection of Nigerian troops.
All the vehicles were snatched by the militants. Some of the soldiers in the convoy were killed while othersescaped to a nearby village.
The abducted UNIMAID staff include Dr. J.V Militus, Dr. N.Y Solomon, Manaja N Uba, Yusuf Ibrahim, Alhaji Kolo, Daniel Birma and a technologist from the Department of Soil Sciences whose name was simply given as Mohammed.
