Train attack: Terrorists free Ango Abdullahi’s son, foreigner, others

Seven abductees from the Kaduna-Abuja train attack have been released.

The  Media Consultant to Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar, Mallam Tukur Mamu (Dan-Iyan Fika) has on Saturday said he  facilitated  the release of another  seven of the  Kaduna -Abuja train attack victims from their abductors.  

Among those said to be  released by the terrorists  includes Ango Abdullahi’s son, Sadiq Ango Abdullahi,  a foreign national of Pakistani origin,  Dr Muhammad Abuzar Afzal, Bosede Olurotimi, Abubakar Zubairu, Alhassan Sule, Muhammad Daiyabu Paki and  Aliyu Usman. 

Mamu was instrumental  in the dialogue that led to the release of the eleven victims of the train attack and reportedly succeeded in convincing the abductors of the Abuja-Kaduna train passengers to drop the recent threat of slaughtering their victims.

Mamu said he has  been under pressure from family members of the victims to reconsider his stand of withdrawing from facilitation of the victims release, in view of the respect and confidence the abductors have in his ability to sincerely engage in dialogue. 

Mamu  said the release of victims has vindicated Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Gumi about what the power of mediation can achieve. 

“I want to assure the nation that everything that was achieved today was singlehandedly initiated and arranged by me with the full support and prayers of my principal, Sheikh Gumi. That is why I keep emphasising that government has the power to end the agony of this innocent victims in one day. This is just one individual that sacrifice his life and even integrity. There is no military solution to the current security debacle in Nigeria. When you sincerely engage them this guys even though wicked with misguided religious beliefs, they are listening. I have sufficient evidence to probe that they due listen. It is this power of engagement and sincerity that resulted to the release of this 7 victims.

“In whatever I do I don’t need or require any reward from anybody but from Allah but I hope the nation we sacrificed our lives for will recognize us”

“Mamu said the seven rescued victims have been handed over to the military and are now on their way to Kaduna. He thank the Kaduna military GOC for the support he gave during the rescue mission. 

“The location they (abductors) gave is remote, sensitive and risky. There was a military checkpoint before penetrating the forest. My team was stopped by the soldiers but when they told the military our mission they contacted the GCO and he immediately gave approval for them to proceed. And after the victims were successfully evacuated, travelling through over 40 kilometers in the forest, they were given a military escort back to Kaduna at the checkpoint”
But Mamu lamented that despite the poor medical condition of many of the rescued victims, securities that took over are unnecessarily wasting their time in a military unit at the outskirts of Kaduna and advice that authorities should hasten effort to take them to a medical facility for urgent evaluation. 

When asked whether money was involved in securing the release of the victims, Mamu said “the 7 rescued victims are in the best position to confirm that. Money cannot achieve what I have done today. And I will never involved myself on any issue that has to do with money. I am also under serious watch. I am sure if they have evidence against me I cannot be talking freely the manner I used to do. However, this is no time for blame game. We must come together as a nation to confront our challenges. I pray and hope that government will learn a lot of lessons in the development of today. We thank Allah that He uses us to make many happy”.

Mamu has also pleaded with the families of the remaining victims to actively engage government to secure the release of their loved ones and insisted that with what he has proven again, he will not be involved in such a risky mission again.