Bandit terrorists who abducted passengers on the Abuja-Kaduna bound train have vowed to start killing those in captivity if the Muhammadu Buhari-led government doesn’t meet their conditions.
Naija News reports that gunmen reportedly related to the Ansaru terrorists group had attacked the train on 28th March 2022, killing nine individuals and kidnapping others.
Recall that the Federal Government had recently suspended the resumption of the train service indefinitely following protests from families of the kidnapped victims.
The terrorists have now stated that they will start killing the captives in the next seven days of the government refused to release their children allegedly kept in a Yola detention facility.
According to the Vanguard, leaders of the terrorists spoke on phone to the spokesman of Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, Malam Tukur Mamu, ‘And Dan Iyan Fika.
In the audio of the conversations between Malam Tukur Mamu and the leaders of the terrorists, the terrorists claimed that the Federal Government suspended the resumption of the train service because of their threats.
”The government suspended the resumption of the train service indefinitely because of our threats and we repeat, if our conditions are not met, the resumption of the train service is to the detriment of the government and the passengers”.
“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 choose 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”.
Speaking further, the leader of the bandits, Abu Barra said anything can happen to the captives as they have spent over two months with them.
He claimed that their children numbering about 8 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,” he continued.
He accused the Buhari-led government of not being serious with moves to secure the release of the abducted passengers.
Abu Barra said they decided to come to a GSM enabled location with one of the female victims to talk to Malam Mamu and as a confirmation of their claims.
Sheikh Gumi’s aide stated that said he could hear her cries with a very low voice that probably indicates exhaustion pleading with him to please talk to the government on their behalf for a swift intervention on their release.
The terrorists leader 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 doesn’t respond after that, then Nigerians should forget using the Abuja-Kaduna rail line as well as the Kaduna-Abuja high way.
“If the government decided 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 decided to attack us or do anything funny, passengers or commuters should forget to use the train or follow 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.
“Therefore, we rely on you and urged you to convey this important message to everyone”, Abu Barra said.
This article was originally published on Nigeria News