Collomp, who had been working on a wind power project in Katsina, was taken after a group of some 30 gunmen stormed the compound where he was staying.
The gate outside his home was said to have been riddled with bullet holes after the attack.
Ansaru claimed the abduction days later, citing as a justification France’s push for military intervention against the Islamist rebels who had seized northern Mali.
Ansaru also claimed the kidnapping of seven foreign nationals working on a construction project in northern Bauchi state in February.
A video later posted online appeared to show some of those hostages being killed.
After raising its international profile, Ansaru’s prominence faded and it has not been linked to an attack for several months.
The Islamist violence in northern Nigeria has however continued unchecked, with hundreds of people killed this year in attacks blamed on Boko Haram.
Northeast Nigeria has been under a state of emergency since mid-May, when the military launched an offensive aimed at crushing the insurgency.
But the slaughter of dozens of people in recent weeks, mainly civilians, has cast doubt on the success of the military campaign.
Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country and top oil producer, where most in the north are Muslim and the south is predominately Christian.
Boko Haram has said it wants to create an Islamic state in the north and is thought to primarily have a domestic agenda.
Ansaru is seen by some as having a more international outlook, perhaps more closely aligned with Al-Qaeda-affiliated groups.
About The Author
