KIDNAP VICTIMS: After five months in captivity, five victims of the March train attack has regained their freedom on Tuesday. The passengers, were aboard a train from Abuja to Kaduna before they were attacked with explosives and gun by bandits in a town before Kaduna.
One of the negotiators Tukur Mamu, who is also the media aid to Islamic cleric Sheikh Gumi confirmed the release of the five abductees to Channels TV.
Tukur Mamu gave the names of the five released abductees as Professor Mustapha Umar Imam, a medical doctor and Professor at Usman Dan Fodio University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto.
Others includes Akibu Lawal, Abubakar Ahmed Rufai Mukthar (who sustained a gunshot wound while in captivity) Shu’aibu and Sidi Aminu Sharif.
Ahmed Rufai Mukhtar is said to have sustained the gunshot injury in a friendly fire between or amongst the bandits.
With this release, 37 victims of the ill-fated Abuja-Kaduna train has been released while 35 others are still held in captivity.
Clariform recall that the Nigerian nation was rudely awaken on March 29th 2022 with the News that a train carrying hundreds of passengers were attacked in the evening of March 28th while heading to Kaduna from Abuja.
Before the attacked, passengers had preferred the train services as a safe means to travel and avoid been kidnapped which is common around Kaduna.
High caliber politicians and others saw the train as a safe haven from criminals. However, that myth has since been shattered with the train attack, which led to the death of passengers and kidnap of others.
Clariform reports that the details of the negotiations and release of these hostages has not been confirmed by government sources or security agencies amidst the rise in conspiracy theories amongst the populace
Conspiracy theories includes the rumours that government and family members of the kidnapped victims are pacifying the kidnappers through the payment of ransom.
There is also the rumour that the ransom could be as low as 50 Million Naira or as high as 100 Million Naira per victim.
