Those who attacked the Kaduna- Abuja train have told the federal government to release their children in the government’s custody.
They said the government needs to release bandits in the government’s custody before they can begin to negotiate the release of the abducted passengers who are in the den of the bandits.
The terrorists revealed their demands to the Kaduna based Publisher of Desert Herald Newspaper, Alhaji Tukur Mamu, saying that they did not want money as ransom.
Recall that some terrorists had launched an attack on the train on March 28. Nine passengers lost their lives and 62 others abducted in the incident. They however later set two of the victims free.
Abu Barra, one of the terrorists had told the publisher that: “We discussed with them (FG) and we told them that our children are in their custody which we demanded their release and among them is a year old boy. We told them that we can only open up negotiation with them if the children are released.
“The children’s names are Abdulrahman, Bilkisu, Usman, Ibrahim and Juwairiyyah and others. They were forcefully taken from their mothers in Nasarawa and taken to the orphanage in Yola.
“For any continued discussion on the release of these passengers and a safe resumption of the train service, our children must be released unconditionally. Only then we will release some of the abducted victims, especially the women while other passengers will be released on a prisoner exchange with some of our arrested comrades by the government,” Barra was quoted as saying.
Barra also reportedly told Mamu that they were reaching out to him because they wanted him to help them publicize their message to the concerned authorities.
He reportedly told the publisher that they have ignored offer of millions of naira requesting the release of the victims, but they have told them it’s not about money.