Terrorists have freed four more passengers abducted from an Abuja-Kaduna train shuttle attacked on Monday night of March 28, this year.
The latest set of hostages released, Friday, by the terrorists includes a 90-year-old grandmother, her daughter, as well as, two others.
This is also it has also been claimed that a commander of the terrorists has now moved to marry one of the female hostages, said to be a 21 year-old Christian.
23 hostages are believed to still be in the captivity of the terrorists as up to 40 passengers have so far been release upon payment of ransom money.
Confirming the release of the latest four hostages, Friday, in a statement, a former government-appointed negotiator, Tukur Mamu, who is also the Publisher of Kaduna-based ‘Desert Herald’ and Media Consultant to controversial Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, said the freed hostages also appealed on behalf of the remaining passengers in the captivity of the terrorists for intervention to save their lives.
“I confirm that earlier on Friday, four additional victims of the train attack were released by their abductors.
“The four released victims just left my office. They said they came collectively to thank me for the past efforts I made to mediate on their behalf and for convincing their abductors to drop the threats of executing them.
“Also, they came to plead to all stakeholders, especially the Federal Government to intensify efforts as the condition of the remaining 23 victims they left in the forest is pathetic.
“Amongst those that were released on Friday included the oldest victim, a grandmother, Mama Halimatu Atta. She is 90 years old.
“Also released is her daughter, 53 year-old married woman, Adama Atta Aliyu, (the woman that was bravely shown in the last video protesting and challenging her captors and lamenting failure to secure their release).
“The victim that first suggested my name to the abductors, as one of those to be contacted to mediate between them and the Federal Government, Mohammed Sani Abdulmaji (M.S Ustaz) and a Sokoto indigene, Alhaji Modin Modi Bodinga, were also released on Friday.
Earlier, last week, a family of six and a woman were also released by the terrorists after allegedly [paying N200 million ransom money by their families.
Their release was confirmed to journalists in Kaduna by Tukur Mamusaid the identities of the released family of six are Abubakar Idris Garba, his wife, Maryam Abubakar Bobo, and their eldest son, Ibrahim Abubakar Garba, who’s 10 years old.
Others include Fatima Abubakar Garba (7), Imran Abubakar Garba (5), and youngest Zainab Abubakar Garba, who is only one and half years old.
Abubakar Idris Garba is a staff of the National Assembly Service Commission.
Also released is a 60-year-old woman, one Hajia Aisha Hassan, who was said to have been released due to life-threatening health challenges that deteriorated recently.
Incidentally, one of the freed hostages is the son of General Idris Garba, Abubakar, his wife and four children.”
Before then, in earlier August, the terrorists had freed five passengers being held captive.
Three hostages were earlier released the week before that, with the fresh five more freed bringing to 37 in total of the number of passengers aboard that train abducted by the terrorist.
Meanwhile, it has also been reported that the terrorists are planning to marry one of the hostages, who has been identified as Miss Azurfa Lois John, a 21-year-old female Christian currently in their captivity, Mamu, who revealed this in a statement, claimed that the terrorists are ‘planning to marry her any moment from now, as they have done in the case of Leah Sharibu.’
Mamu called on the federal government and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to immediately secure the release of Azurfa because “one of the commanders is in love with her.”
“This important information should be treated with the urgency it deserves. Even though I know that releasing this information will not only unsettle her immediate family and loved ones but Nigerians as a whole, it is necessary to do so to avoid a repeat of Leah Sharibu’s case.
“I advise CAN in particular not to politicise this issue or reduce it to mere press releases as I have seen in the past but to work closely with relevant authorities to engage the abductors on her case as soon as possible before it is late.”