Terrorists who attacked and abducted passengers in the Abuja-Kaduna train on March 28, have reportedly threatened to kill their victims if the federal government does not meet their demands within seven days.
This was disclosed by Tukur Mamu, publisher of a Kaduna based newspaper, “Desert Herald” and a media consultant to the Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi who has been campaigning for dialogue with the terrorists.
Mamu said the terrorists called him on telephone and told him that the federal government started talking with them, but abruptly suspended the discussions.
In the telephone conversation which he published in the his newspaper which he shared on his Facebook page, alongside a one minute, fourty one seconds audio clip, the terrorists accused the government of lack of insincerity in securing the release of the abducted passengers.
According to the report, the terrorists insisted that government must fulfil their demands, emphasising that they don’t want money.
“We don’t need money. We have a good reason for doing what we did, until our demands are met none of the victims will come out alive even if it means we all die with them.
“They are well taken care of as you can see from the pictures we sent to you via WhatsApp but we assure you that this will not continue.
“We chose you (Tukur Mamu) to convey this important message to the government, the families of the victims and Nigerians in general because we believe you won’t alter our message and we have seen you severally with Sheikh Gumi in the forest, therefore, we recognized the fearlessness in you,” Mamu quoted Abu Barra, the leader of the abductors who spoke with him on the telephone in Hausa language.
Barra noted that it had been two months since the abduction and anything can happen to the abducted passengers henceforth.
Barra said the reason for the abduction was to retaliate the arrest and detention of their children by the security agencies and demanded for their release.
Mamu further quoted the leader of the abductors saying, “Our children numbering about eight between the ages of one to seven years are currently being held at an orphanage in Jimeta, Adamawa State under the supervision of the Nigerian Army.
“The names of our children are; Abdulrahman, Bilkisu, Usman, Ibrahim and Juwairiyyah. They were forcefully taken from our wives in Nasarawa and taken to the orphanage in Yola.
“For any continued discussion on the release of these passengers and a safe resumption of the train service, our children must be released unconditionally.
“Only then we will release some of the abducted victims especially the women while other passengers will be released on a prisoner exchange with some of our arrested comrades by the government.”
The leader of the terrorists further threatened that, if within seven days the government does not respond to their demands, they will stop feeding the victims and will start slaughtering them one after the other and if the government does not respond after that, the Abuja-Kaduna rail line as well as the Kaduna-Abuja highway will be no go areas for Nigerians.
“If the government decide not to respond so be it. We are warning Nigerians especially those that are patronizing the train that if this matter is not resolved peacefully, the day they decide to attack us or do anything funny, passengers or commuters should forget using the train or following the Abuja-Kaduna road because we will be consistent and they can’t stop us.
“We believe that you will deliver this message as it is,” the terrorists threatened.
They also claimed that the planned resumption of train services along the Kaduna -Abuja road which was expected to start on Monday was suspended because of fear.
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