Five more passengers of the ill-fated Abuja-Kaduna bound train who were attacked and abducted by terrorists on March 28, have been freed.
They were released today (Tuesday) by their abductors who whipped them mercilessly last week and threatened to kill and sell them off if the government failed to meet their ransom demands.
The five lucky victims are Mustapha Umar Imam, a professor of Medicine at the Usman Dan Fodio University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto; Akibu Lawal, Abubakar Ahmed Rufai, Mukthar Shu’aibu and Sidi Aminu Sharif.
Self-acclaimed lead negotiator and media consultant to prominent Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, Malam Tukur Mamu, confirmed the development to journalists in Kaduna.
He urged the federal government to hasten and negotiate the release of the remaining victims in captivity as those still in captivity were in very dangerous and precarious situation.
He also harped on the need for dialogue with the terrorists, insisting that there was nothing dialogue and negotiation could not achieve.
“In a situation where military force cannot work, dialogue would certainly work,” he said.
It is not yet clear if ransom was paid to the terrorists to secure the release of the abductees.
The security agencies and the federal government are yet to confirm the development as at the time of filing this report.
So far, 37 victims have regained their freedom. The number of those still in captivity now stands at 35.
Gunmen had on March 28 blown up the rail track, killing some and abducting scores of passengers.
