More women and minors abducted during the Kaduna-Abuja train attack have been released on Saturday.
One of the leaders of the families of the abducted victims, Hassan Muhammed confirmed this to THE WHISTLER.
The victims, numbering about eleven were reportedly released after a palpable exchange between captors of the passengers and the federal government, THE WHISTLER learnt.
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“Yes, I can confirm they have been released. They are heading for medicals. They released more women and children, but I cannot categorically say the numbers but I know one or two persons their sisters were released.
“I also know of a family that one of their three sisters was released,” he said.
When asked about the probability that the federal government released the children of the terrorist, Muhammed said, “It looked like that, that there was something they exchanged, but I cannot confirm now what was exchanged. But I can confirm that no ransom was paid from the families.”
There are, however, reports those released by the terrorists are made up of six females and five males.
Also confirming the development, the Publisher of Desert Herald, Tukur Mamu, who also served as a mediator, disclosed that the terrorists didn’t meet their side of the bargain to release all the abducted women.
He said, “It was expected initially that all the abducted women will be released in the first batch while negotiations for the release of the remaining victims will continue but the abductors had cut down the number of women they initially agreed to release because the Nigerian Government had demanded that they include those with life-threatening injuries among the released,” Daily Trust reports.
Meanwhile, Muhammed told this website that the recent news has incited hope in the process as many families look forward to the release of their loved ones.
Recall that terrorists had detonated an explosive on an inbound Kaduna- Abuja train on March 28, killing at least nine passengers while 26 were reportedly injured.
The terrorists also abducted no fewer than 62 people and held them hostage for over two months on the condition that the federal government released their (terrorist’s) children detained in an orphanage home in Adamawa State.
They also demanded the exchange of some of their commanders in the custody of the nation’s security agency.