The Federal Government has secured the release of the remaining 23 Kaduna train attack hostages.
“I am pleased to announce to the nation and the world that at 1600hrs. (4:00pm) today, Wednesday, 05-10-2022, the seven-man presidential committee assembled by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General L E O Irabor, secured the release and took custody of all the kidnapped victims of the ill-fated train,” said Prof. Usman Yusuf, Secretary of the Chief of Defence Staff Action Committee (CDSAC).
“The nation owes a debt of appreciation to the Nigerian military under the leadership of the CDS, who devised and oversaw the operation from start to finish,” the document states. All sister security agencies and the Federal Ministry of Transportation made significant contributions to this operation.
Muhammadu Buhari, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, has been constant in his support.”
The victims were seized by Boko Haram militants on March 28, 2022, during an attack on a moving passenger train in Kaduna.
The hoodlums that ambushed the AK9 Train in Kaduna have previously released hostages piecemeal, with the most recent release taking place on August 19, 2022.
The rebels blew up the rail track and bombed the moving train, killing some and kidnapping over 60 passengers. The unusual incident sparked international and domestic anger.
Family members who were distraught had protested multiple times to demand the release of their loved ones.
Worried about the situation, the Nigeria Railway Corporation briefly halted operations, and President Buhari directed security services to rescue the victims after meeting with their families.
Mu’azu Sambo, the Minister of Transportation, stated that the Abuja-Kaduna rail line would not reopen until all prisoners were recovered and reunited with their families.
Tukur Mamu, a terrorist negotiator, was caught in Cairo, Egypt on his route to Saudi Arabia on September 6 and returned to Nigeria the next day.
The Department of State Services (DSS) said that Mamu, who mediated between terrorists and victims’ families, was a member of an international terrorist network and used the cover of journalism to carry out his crimes.
Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, a popular Kaduna-based Islamic cleric to whom Mamu is an aide, has condemned the detention.
Gumi had requested that the security agency charge Mamu in court if it had evidence against him, rather than keeping him in detention.
In response, the secret police said it would not be sidetracked by biased media narratives and asked to be left alone to focus on current investigations, the results of which it described as’mindboggling.’