Eight hundred million Naira was paid to the terrorists to obtain the freedom of seven passengers in the March 2022 Abuja-Kaduna train attack, sources said newsmen over the weekend.
Some recently rescued victims of the Abuja-Kaduna train incident were reunited with their relatives on Saturday, according to a previous report by Anaedoonline.ng.
In a statement released on Sunday, the chief negotiator, Malam Tukur Mamu, a media consultant for well-known Islamic preacher Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, verified the reunion and stated that the hostages had been joyfully reunited with their individual families in Kaduna.
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While delivering the victims to their families, Mamu urged Nigerians to applaud Yobe State’s executive governor, Mai Mala Buni, for the critical part he played in securing the release of the hostages.
Mamu, however, was described in a newspaper as saying that during the discussion they merely utilized the power of discourse and persuasion, making it clear that no ransom was paid to ensure the release of the detainees.
However, reports made public by Newsmen refuted Mamu’s assertion, citing sources who stated that money was given for the release of the prisoners.
According to the report, the ransom for the Pakistani captive was set at N200 million, which was also paid, and the family of each captive from Nigeria paid N100 million.
The sources confirmed, according to the newspaper, that the terrorists received payment for the ransom in both naira and US money.
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“Only N200 million was collected in naira, the remaining N600 million was paid in the equivalent of US dollars,” the news outlet reported.
Those released were identified as Muhammad Daiyabu Paki, Bosede Olurotimi, Abubakar Zubairu, Alhassan Sule, Sadiq Ango Abdullahi, Aliyu Usman and Muhammad Abuzar Afzal, the Pakistani, Naija News understands.
“All the families of the victims felt abandoned by the federal government and therefore had to pay for the release of their loved ones,” one of the sources reportedly said.
Another said: “The truth is that the FG is indifferent to our plight…Those in power don’t care if the captives are all killed.
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“That is why we sold our property and raised the money. It is the same for the families of all those released. We all paid through our nose but Alhamdulillah, it is worth it.”
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