The Federal Government is upset that many victims of the Abuja-Kaduna-bound train attack in March this year are still being kept by terrorists who kidnapped them, multiple sources have said.
The FG’s discomfort stems from the terrorists’ failure to honour the swap deal they allegedly entered into with it over the release of the train attack captives. According to reports, the government’s anger followed the refusal of the abductors to release all the train attack victims after it had freed no fewer than 30 imprisoned terrorists the bandits had requested to be released in exchange for the train captives.
It was gathered that as soon as the terrorists confirmed the freedom of 30 of their colleagues from prison, they reneged on the swap agreement reached with the government and started releasing the train victims piecemeal and based strictly on the payment of huge ransoms, something the Government had vehemently rejected as a condition for freeing the captives.
The Government is also said to be furious over the roles played by some elements in the country who, security sources said, jumped into the Kaduna train attack fray in order to milk the captives under the guise of ‘negotiation’ with the terrorists holding them. However, one of the said negotiators, Tukur Mamu, blamed the deadlock in the release of the captives on the government’s uncooperative attitude. One of the sources, a top government official, said the administration had not appointed any individual, corporate or public organisation to negotiate with the terrorists but had relied on the swap deal both parties entered into as a respectable and acceptable means of freeing the victims.
Recall that a few weeks ago a viral video emerged from the terrorists’ camp showing them whipping the victims mercilessly over the alleged delay by the Government to meet their demands to free them.
As of last week, only 37 of the victims had been freed in about four batches while 35 remained in the bandits’ custody. There have been reports of ransoms being paid before the 37 captives were released.
