Geologists Captured By Boko Haram Send SOS To President Buhari

The geologists captured by Boko Haram terrorists have sent an SOS to President Muhammadu Buhari with the permission of their captors.

The Boko Haram faction led by Abumusaf Albanawi granted them permission to write after forty two days in captivity.

The geologists were staff members from University of Maiduguri who were on oil exploration expedition sanctioned by President Buhari.

The letter was handwritten by Dr Solomon Yusuf on behalf of the three of them.

They called on all stakeholders of the national assignment which got them into the hands of Boko haram to hearken to their call for rescue.

They also asked the government to negotiate with their captors and ensure their hastened release.

In the emotion laden letter Dr Yusuf asked his wife to tell his father to name his new baby for him as the baby cannot wait for his return before getting a name.

The letter read: “I am writing this letter in captivity and to let you know that I am alive and well. 

“My friends here Mr Yusuf Ibrahim and Mr Haruna Dashe are also alive and hoping to be home very soon. 

“How is Suzy (Mirabelle) and Bryan – Janjaro? How is the new born baby? 

“I want my father Mr Nehemiali Yusuf Janjaro to name the new born baby in my absence.”

“Please extend the greetings of Mr Yusuf Ibrahim to his mother Mrs Saratu Ibrahim and the entire family including Deborah. 

“Also inform Mr Haruna Dashe’s wife (Margaret) and his children Emmanuella, Binta, Beatrice and Mary that he really loves and misses them. 

“I plead with our families to join face and mount pressure on the University and Government to secure our freedom.” He said.

To his supervisors he said: “Prof Saidu Baba and Prof Adamu Dzivama I want to draw your attention and remind you that today is forty two days in captivity. 

“We were caught working on a project both of you were co-ordinating for NNPC in collaboration with University of Maiduguri to explore for hydrocarbon in the Nigerian sector of the Chad Basin.

“To be frank with both of you, we never thought we will spend this days in captivity with the soldiers of Khalifa, having it in mind that about seventy lives were lost in the process and we thought the government will come quickly to negotiate and rescue us alive, yet we are still captives.”

To ASUU leadership he said: “I want to thank ASUU (National body) and UNIMAID chapter under the leadership of Dr Dani Mamman for the effort so far for including us in the present strike agenda.

“We plead with you not to relent in your effort to help us gain our freedom and be re-united with our families. 

“We call on you (ASUU) to remain our voice and fight for our freedom.”

To President Muhammadu Buhari, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Speaker house of representative, Do garage, Governor of Borno State Kashim Shettima, Minister of Education Adamu Adamu and minister of petroleum Kachikwu, he pleaded to remember that they were caught on a national assignment to acquire gravity, magnetic data and soil geochemistry samples for hydrocarbon exploration in the Nigerian sector of the Chad Basin on the 25th July, 2017 and not on a self excusion or sight-seeing to the area.

“We plead with government to meet the demands of soldiers of Khalifa under the leadership of Abu Mus’ad Albarnawi so that we can be re-united with our families alive as soon as possible. 

“I want to also emphasis that delay on getting our freedom possess risk to our dear lives. 

“We never expected we will spend over forty two days (as at 4th September, 2017) in captivity because the project has presidential order to explore hydrocarbon in the Chad Basin.

“I also want to remind the government of the promise made by the Vice President while acting President when he commissioned a rice mill in Kebbi State that the Government will do everything possible to get them out alive within the shortest period of time because they were on a “National Assignment.

“The government should please continue negotiating with the present contact given to them by University of Maiduguri as means of contacting soldiers of Khalifa under the leadership of Abu Mus’ab Albarnawi.”

He thanked media houses both local and international for supporting the cause for their freedom.

“We plead to the government to treat our freedom with all sense of urgency and sympathy so that we can be re-united with our families. The use of force is a serious threat to our lives,” he warned

Although the insurgents have not come up with any demand yet, it is expected that the kidnap was part of plans to swap with their incarcerated members as in the case of the last set of eighty two Chibok girls released recently.

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