Over the weekend, sources revealed to news outlets that a sum of eight hundred million Naira was paid to terrorists to secure the release of seven onboard members in the March 2022 Abuja-Kaduna train attack.
It was previously reported that some newly rescued victims of the Abuja-Kaduna train attack were reunited with their families on Saturday.
The lead negotiator, Malam Tukur Mamu, a media consultant to a popular Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, confirmed the reunion in a statement on Sunday, noting that the captives were happily reunited with their respective families in Kaduna.
Mamu urged Nigerians to applaud the executive Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, for his critical role in releasing the captives.
In a report, Vanguard quoted Mamu as saying that they only used the power of dialogue and persuasion during the negotiation, and that no ransom was paid to secure the release of the captives.
However, reports contradicted Mamu’s claim, citing sources who stated that money was paid for the captives’ release.
It was reported that the families of each of the Nigerian captives paid N100 million, while the captors demanded N200 million for the Pakistani, which was also paid.
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According to the sources, the terrorists collected the ransom in naira and US dollars.
“Only N200 million was collected in naira, with the remaining N600 million paid in US dollars,” the news outlet reported.
Muhammad Daiyabu Paki, Bosede Olurotimi, Abubakar Zubairu, Alhassan Sule, Sadiq Ango Abdullahi, Aliyu Usman, and Muhammad Abuzar Afzal, a Pakistani, were among those freed. It was understood.
“All of the victims’ families felt abandoned by the federal government and thus had to pay for the release of their loved ones,” one of the sources reportedly said.
“The truth is that the FG is indifferent to our plight,” said another.
Those in power don’t care if all of the captives are killed.
“That is why we sold our property and raised the funds.” It is the same for the families of all those who have been released. We all paid through the nose, but it was well worth it, Alhamdulillah.
