President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday sympathised with former PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, over the killing of his brother and abduction of his sister by bandits.

In a statement by his media aide, Malam Garba Shehu, on Sunday in Abuja, Buhari said: “I am shocked and outraged by the story of the killing of your brother and the abduction of your sister by bandits.

”This double tragedy is particularly moving. I know it’s hard to cope with the weight of this tragedy in your family. I feel your pain.

“Let me use this opportunity to reassure you and other Nigerians currently facing threats from the atrocities of the bandits that I will leave no stone unturned to ensure these enemies of humanity are finally crushed and decisively defeated.

”Security is my constant concern and I have kept the service chiefs on their toes to ensure that they come up with a decisive solution to end this menace.”

He prayed to God to forgive the soul of the deceased and grant the family fortitude to overcome the double tragedy.

On March 28, 2022, terrorists attacked the Kaduna-bound passenger train, killing eight people and abducting 63. Many others were wounded.

After a series of releases for ransom, 43 Nigerians are still held by the terrorists somewhere within the Birnin Gwari forest in Kaduna.

In the viral video recorded in Hausa, the terrorists threatened to kidnap Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari and Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, as well as other government officials.

The terrorists claimed the government knows what their demands are, and if not met, they will enslave the captives and sell the rest “just like the Chibok girls.”

They also vowed to “turn this place to a slaughterhouse” if they are not appeased.

The terrorists also said they know of a plan by the Nigerian government to storm their hideout “with guns and planes.”

WHAT THEY SAID 

This is the result of what the bad Nigerian government has caused for her people.

Look at it very well. It’s not our intention to do this but this is what the Nigerian government has caused.

We have tried to dialogue with the Nigerian government some time ago in Kaduna to release the abducted victims but the FG seems relaxed – having their tea.

The FG should know that we are aware that there’s no committee being set up to fast track the release of the victims. We know that you are planning to forcefully rescue the victims using guns and planes.

Your guns and your planes are spider webs in the sight of Allah.

We are fighting for the cause of Allah. We don’t fear anybody. We only fear Allah. We have pledge solidarity to Allah. We will carryout whatever Allah says we should.

This is small compared to what you will see. Just as we have told you in times past – if our demands are not met, we will turn this area into a slaughterhouse…

This is our message to the government of Nigeria and just as you have seen these people here, by God’s grace, you will see your leaders; your senators and governors will come before us.

These ones you see here, we will keep some as our slaves and sell them off just as our Imam told you in the past.

Just like the Chibok girls that were sold off, we will equally sell these ones as slaves…

If you don’t adhere to our demands, we will kill the ones we need to kill and sell the remaining. By God’s grace, El-Rufai, Buhari, we will bring you here.

EXCLUSIVE DETAILS

ARISE News spoke to a family member of one of the abductees who would rather be anonymous.

He said the terrorists contacted him within the past week and told him that two of the captives are seriously ill from wound infections.

The terrorists told him to come get them both, as long as he comes with food and water.

Excited at the prospect of securing his loved ones’ freedom, he loaded his car with food and water for the captives and set out for Birnin Gwari from Kaduna.

However, some family members of other captives got wind of the plan, and weren’t too pleased he was negotiating for just his own relatives.

According to the source, he was barely 30 minutes from the location given to him by the terrorists in Birnin Gwari, when he was stopped at a military checkpoint.

They had “information from headquarters” that someone was coming with ransom for the terrorists.

He told them to check the car, that all he had was food and water, not cash.

Nonetheless, he was detained for hours, then sent back.

BACKSTORY

On March 28, 2022, terrorists attacked a Kaduna-bound passenger train, killing eight people and abducting 63 others. Many others were wounded.

One of the abducted victims, the managing director of the Nigerian Bank of Agriculture, Alwan Hassan, was released about a week later, after reportedly paying a ransom of N100 million.

A pregnant woman was also released, before another 11 were set free early June.

On July 9, Seven of 50 remaining abductees were released.

Reports in local media claim the terrorists were paid N800 million; N100 million for each of the six Nigerians released, and N200 million for the Pakistani captive.

However, Tukur Mamu who negotiated their release – as well as previous negotiations with the terrorists – insisted that no ransom was paid.

Mamu is publisher of the Desert Herald and a media consultant to popular Kaduna-based Islam cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi.

By Derrick Bangura

The picture of a new-born baby girl delivered in a terrorists’ den by a woman abducted during the March 28 attack on an Abuja-Kaduna-bound train has been released by the abductors.

The terrorist group suspected to be Ansaru, a breakaway group from Boko Haram, released the picture on Wednesday night.
ARISE News had reported the birth of the baby by the abductee in the terrorists’ den. A family member of the woman had first hinted that she had been delivered of her baby, although the identity of the new-born child was not disclosed until the terrorists released her picture.

Clad in a thick pink dress and a light lemon sweater cap, with her eyes closed, the baby looked healthy, with credible sources saying the terrorists invited a doctor to take delivery of the infant.

Out of the 63 abducted train passengers that were under captivity, only one passenger, Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), Alwan Hassan, has so far been released after, allegedly, paying a ransom of N100 million.

The terrorists, who attacked and abducted the passengers, had earlier this week released four different pictures of their victims, numbering 62, with the group allegedly insisting that they were not after a ransom, but an exchange of the abducted passengers with their commanders, who are in government custody.

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, had at a recent media briefing revealed that the federal government was working behind the scenes to secure the release of all the hostages currently languishing in captivity.

Nine persons, including a young medical doctor, were killed during the attack, with scores injured and over 60 passengers kidnapped.

Reliable sources said the terrorists appeared organised and coordinated because of the way they were able to get medical supplies into the forest, a development they described as still shocking to both government and security operatives.