Abuja-Kaduna Train Attack: Gunmen shot 1 hostage during gun training 

Abuja-Kaduna Train Attack: Gunmen shot 1 hostage during gun training

Story from Ibraheem Hamza MUHAMMAD

Barely one week after Desert Herald Publisher, Malam Tukur Mamu, sent an alarm to the Federal Government of Nigeria about the poor and deteriorating health condition of most of the passengers that were kidnapped over three months ago on the AK9 Abuja-Kaduna bound train, one of the innocent hostages by name Mohammed Al’Amin has been shot by the bandits.

Mamu had earlier revealed other associated threats affecting the victims like reported cases of snake attacks and bites with constant rainfall worsening most of their conditions.

READ ALSO: Abuja-Kaduna Train Attack: We’ve freed 11 abducted passengers, striving to free more – Negotiator 

According to credible information, the hostage was shot on Monday during a “friendly exchanges of fire at the forest between the abductors that are guarding the victims and preventing them from possible escape”.

The voluntary negotiator, Tukur Mamu, who facilitated the release of 11 of the victims with the support of other stakeholders told this medium in an exclusive interview that he did not entirely believe in the abductor’s narrative of a friendly shooting that resulted in the unfortunate and avoidable mishap, he, however, confirmed that the victim is still alive and in a critical health condition.

It would be recalled that prior to the engagement of the DH Publisher, the Ansaru terrorist organisation threatened to stop feeding their victims and start executing them within a week. It took painstaking engagement with the group and with the cooperation of the federal government for Mamu to pacify them to drop the idea.

In the opinion of Malam Mamu, “The incident that resulted in the shooting of the hostage can happen, but it could also be intentional from them for the purpose of sending a message. The killing of their victims is something we know they can do. They have threatened to do that before.

“Government must be prepared to take full responsibility and act fast, there has been constant communication but the government is yet to make a decision. I know what is in this crisis and that is why I keep emphasising that President Buhari must be prepared to take painful decisions, and painful compromises if they are really committed to securing these innocent victims alive.

“With what we have succeeded in doing, the windows and opportunity we opened which there’s none hitherto, the government has the power to bring this to an end within three to four days. I assure them we can do it with their support and cooperation, and if it didn’t happen as long as the government does the needful I will agree and accept to take full responsibility.

“Cases of emergency such as this don’t require unnecessary bureaucracy. I can confirm to you that the said passenger has been shot”. He said.

Tukur Mamu said even though he initially decided to disengage from the negotiations for personal reasons, pleas from family members of the victims, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi including those in government at the highest official level made him reconsider the decision in the interest of the innocent lives that were held hostage for over 3 months now.

Mamu said he pleaded with the abductors on Tuesday to free the victim that was shot whom they said is in a critical condition to allow the government to treat his emergency case but they vehemently refused, insisting that they will not entertain any demand except government attend to theirs too. In the alternative, he further advised the government to deal with the abductors directly to see an end to the uncertainty as soon as possible.

The publisher has also confirmed and lamented that the health condition of many of the hostages is bad and insisted that most of them will not be able to survive for long if urgent steps are not taken by the government to secure their release as soon as possible.