Kaduna Train Attack: Bandits Collected N800m To Free Additional 7 Victims – Security Expert

Captors of the Kaduna-Abuja train passengers received a total of N800m ransom to release the additional seven passengers abducted on March 28, THE WHISTLER can report.

The captors on Saturday released seven victims including a Pakistani, following an ongoing negotiation led by Tukur Mamu, a Kaduna-based Publisher of Desert Herald.

A Security expert who did not want to be identified for safety reasons confirmed to this website that none of the recently released victims paid less than N100m for their freedom.

The Pakistani, on the other hand, paid twice the ransom – N200m, bringing the total to N800m.

“I can confirm to you that N100m each was paid for their release. The Pakistani among them paid N200m because he is a foreigner. A total of N800m was collected.

“The Managing Director, Bank of Agriculture (Alwan Ali Hassan), who was released earlier paid N50m. All were paid in dollars to avoid traces.

“Nobody was released for free as the ransom fee of some varied but not less than 50 million or higher than 100million for Nigerians,” the source said.

Recall that the captor had released the MD, BOA “in the spirit of Ramadan” and also the pregnant woman who conceived in their den based on “sympathy”.

Subsequently, 11 people were released weeks after the captors threatened to kill the victims if the government failed to release some of its commanders and children in the nation’s custody.

There was, however, no confirmed information about any exchange made to facilitate their release.

Recall that the captors had abducted at least 63 passengers from an inbound Kaduna-Abuja train on March 28. So far, only 20 victims have been released on different occasions while a total of 43 victims including two foreigners are still in captivity.

There are indications that the victims may be required to pay a huge ransom to secure their freedom. Families of the abducted victims revealed that only those capable of the demanded sum will be released.

Meanwhile, the Ansaru terrorist group, earlier linked in the train incident denied responsibility for the attack.

In a video excerpt sighted by THE WHISTLER, the group claimed that the supposed leader of the group, Abul Bara making negotiations with Mamu is not their leader.

The group wrote: “The name that was used was without a doubt, our name. but the group Ansarul Muslimina fi Biladi Sudan, its leader is not Abul Bara.

“The group Ansarul Muslimina is not preoccupied with spreading its business and propaganda. When it wants, it will issue out information regarding who its leader is, and its objective, if Allah wills”.

The group said they do not kill or detain their victims indiscriminately, adding, “as long as we do not have certainty regarding your disbelieve, you are not of concern to us”.

The security expert noted that Ansaru may have denied their involvement, but the real perpetrators were loyal to the Ansaru group.