Education minister receives released abducted varsity lecturers

The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, on Friday received the University of Maiduguri abducted lecturers who were recently released by the Boko Haram insurgents.
Adamu, who was represented by the Minister of State of the ministry, Prof. Anthony Anwukah, also commiserated with the family of the other six lecturers who died in the attack, when a team led by the Vice Chancellor of the university paid him a visit in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that nine lecturers from the university were attacked on July 25, 2017, while on a national service of oil exploration in the Chad Basin.
The three lecturers released were: Dr Solomon Yusuf, a Senior lecturer in the Geophysics department of the school, Yusuf Ibrahim, a Graduate Assistant and Haruna Danshe, a Technical officer in the university.
The minister said the incident was a shock to the ministry, the university and the entire nation, while calling on the university council to work out financial benefits for the lecturers and the families of the deceased.
Adamu said: “The experience that our three brothers went through and those who could not make it back is saddened and very unfortunate; we really sympathise with them.
“I could imagine what a vice chancellor who is the head of the family went through and having not accounted for six of his very prized members of staff.
“I would imagine that through the council, the university should be able to work out some details for the bereaved families.
“And the oil company should be able to work out share endowment on behalf of those who lost their lives as a memory of those who could not make it back.”
Adamu, however, called on the lecturers to pick up their pieces and return to their jobs.
Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Ibrahim Abubakar, said the university was celebrating the return of the three lecturers.
Abubakar thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for role played in the release of the three while also appreciating Nigerians for their prayers in the recovery.
He added that the university would not look at what had happened but pick up its pieces and forge ahead for the betterment of all Nigerians.
While recounting the incident that led to the abduction of the lecturers, he said the nine staff were on a national service of oil exploration in the Chad Basin and were attacked by Boko Haram.
He said the university had earlier resisted the move but conceded to persuasions after it had been given a presidential order to take part in the exploration by a team of NNPC officials.
He added that the lecturers were however attacked by the Boko Haram and five corpses were identified after the attack.
Abubakar said: “We identified five bodies as our members of staff while one other lecturer was also identified the previous day after the incident.
“Until about 10 days ago that we were finally able to identify the other three lecturers alive.
“Though, a lot had happened but we are still celebrating the return of these three lecturers that are back and we feel we need to come to the ministry for a brief of what happened.’’