By our Reporter
Four more hostages including an 85-year-old woman, Hajiya Halimatu Atta, her daughter, Adams Aliyu and two others after spending four months in captivity with the terrorists that attacked the AK-9 Abuja-Kaduna train passengers on March 28, on Friday has been released.
Tukur Mamu, Publisher of Kaduna-based Desert Herald and Media Consultant to controversial Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, who withdrew as one of the negotiators, confirmed the release of the four hostages to newsmen in Kaduna.
Mamu disclosed that if urgent steps were not taken, a 21-year-old Arzurfa Lois John might be married out to one of the terrorists as was in the case of Leah Sharibu, the Dapchi schoolgirl.
Speaking further,he said one of the terrorists’ commanders was said to be in love with Lois.
Mamu gave the identities of those released to include, Mama Halimatu Atta, her daughter, Adams, Mohammed Sani Abdulmaji (M.S Ustaz) (who suggested his (Mamu) names to the terrorists as one those to mediate) as well as a Sokoto indigene, Alhaji Modin Modi Bodinga.
Mamu said the terrorists planned to marry off the 21-year-old girl, alerting the Federal Government and the Christian Association of Nigeria to act urgently.
According to him, the CAN must not politicise or take the information with levity, adding that relevant authorities should engage the abductors in her (Lois) case as soon as possible before it is late.
He said, “I can confirm that earlier on Friday, four additional victims of the train attack were released by their abductors. The four released victims just left my office.
“They said they came collectively to thank me for the past efforts I made to mediate on their behalf and for convincing their abductors to drop the threats of executing them and to plead for all stakeholders especially the federal government to intensify efforts as the condition of the remaining 23 victims they left at the forest is pathetic.
It would be recalled that on 28 March 2022, terrorists planted explosive devices along the rail track and when the Abuja-Kaduna bound AK-9 passenger train approached the point, the device exploded, causing the train to derail, leading to the death of eight passengers.