Nigeria: Gunmen Kill University of Maiduguri Lecturer

The lecturer was killed in Maiduguri on Sunday.

A Senior Lecturer in the Mass Communication Department of the University of Maiduguri, Murtala Muhammed, was on Sunday killed by gunmen when they tried to snatch his car in Maiduguri, Borno State.

Mr. Muhammed was killed near his house at the 202 Housing Estate, located opposite the University of Maiduguri.

A witness, who pleaded anonymity, told PREMIUM TIMES that the gunmen, who rode on a tricycle, waylaid him as he was approaching his house and tried to forcefully take the car from him.

"They shot him as he was trying to resist them and drove away with his car...it was bout 2 p.m. today," the witness said.

A top official of the Department of Security Service (DSS), who doesn't want to be named as he was not permitted to speak, confirmed the incident to PREMIUM TIMES.

Mr. Muhammed, whose corpse is said to have been deposited at the mortuary, is expected to be buried on Monday according to Islamic rights.

Lecturers of the University have recently become targets of gunmen and kidnappers.

Sunday's incident comes five weeks after another lecturer, Abba Kagu was kidnapped. Mr. Kagu's whereabouts are still unknown.

Mr. Kagu's abductors had reportedly admitted kidnapping him in error, as they reportedly mistook him for an aide of the Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima. They have, however, demanded a ransom of N5 million for him.

The senior lecturer was abducted on February 24 near his home in the Federal Low cost Estate, Maiduguri. After reading his profile in the media, the abductors, who had allegedly placed a N50 million ransom on him, thinking he was one of the close political aides of Borno State Governor, later reduced their ransom to N5 million. The amount has not been paid and the lecturer is still held by his abductors.

Family members and relatives of Dr. Kagu, a renowned environmentalist, say they are worried as they have not established any serious contacts with the kidnappers.

The University of Maiduguri management insists its hands are tied as the abduction was not carried out within the institution's campus.

The University's Head of Public Relations, Ahmed Muhammed, said "there wasn't any meaningful contact with the kidnappers with us or the family members that we know; all that you hear about certain amount of money being demanded were all rumour. Besides this incident occurred outside the university campus, which makes it difficult for us."

No group has claimed responsibility for the killing of

Mr. Muhammed or the kidnap of Mr. Kagu; although the city has been under the siege of the insurgent Boko Haram group.