Boko Haram suspected of kidnapping university researchers in Nigeria
Bauchi — Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have kidnapped 10 members of a geological research team from the University of Maiduguri in northeast Nigeria, the state oil company, which contracted the work, said on Wednesday. For more than a year, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) has been surveying for what it says could be vast oil reserves in the Lake Chad Basin, a region wracked by Boko Haram’s eight-year insurgency, which has killed at least 20,000 people and forced millions to flee their homes. Oil cartel Opec member Nigeria relies on crude oil for two-thirds of government revenue. Attacks on energy facilities in its southern Niger Delta oil heartland in 2016 cut production by more than a third, deepening the recession in Africa’s biggest economy. NNPC spokesperson Ndu Ughamadu said the contractors were kidnapped near Jibi village in Borno state on Tuesday afternoon. "About 10 members of the University of Maiduguri’s geology and surveying department were abducted by su...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.