‘Boko Haram’ abducts scientists exploring oil at Lake Chad

Some Nigerian scientists searching for crude in Lake Chad have been kidnapped. Although the exact number of victims has not been confi rmed, a spokesperson of the state oil fi rm, NNPC, confi rmed the kidnap to our correspondent. Sources in Borno state had earlier told Premium Times that the victims were abducted on Tuesday by suspected members of Boko Haram. Th ough security agencies have not spoken offi cially on the incident, sources in Borno said the scientists and engineers who were moving alongside some personnel of the Civilian-JTF, were ambushed near a village called Jibi in Gubio local government area. A top personnel of the NNPC currently on exploration duty in Alkaleri local government area of Bauchi state confi rmed that the whereabouts of some offi cials could not be ascertained. Th e source, who pleaded not to be named due to the sensitivity of information, said most of the personnel that are “supposed to be at the location where they were reportedly attacked could not be reached through their special devices of communication.” “I have just received a call from our head offi ce asking us to confi rm the attack if we have had any contact with our personnel who were