Freed train passenger: Terrorists collected N100m for my release

One of the recently released Abuja-Kaduna train attack passengers, Hassan Uthman, has disclosed that N100 million was paid to the terrorists to secure his release.

Uthman, who was among the three passengers released by the terrorists on Monday after four months in captivity, said the abducted train passengers trekked for three days before they arrived the abductors’ camp where they were kept.

Narrating his ordeal, the released train passenger said they were severely beaten by the terrorists, adding that the four months he spent in captivity was a bad experience for him.

The gunmen had released a video showing the victims being tortured in captivity.

The terrorists, in the video, also threatened to kill the abducted train passengers and sell out others if their demands are not met by the Federal Government.

Uthman, who is a lawyer, further disclosed that the abductors are Boko Haram members, adding that the insurgents are well armed and have taken over a vast area of the country’s forests spanning about three to four states.

He said the gunmen claimed to be attacking government interests because the government did not allow them to practise their religion the way they wanted.

The released train passenger said: “We were taken through a very bad and dehumanising experience. We trekked for three days before we arrived the captors’ camp where we were kept for almost four months.

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“Those four months were moments of bad experience for us as victims of this attack.

“It was terrible in the captors’ camp. We killed several snakes. We were sleeping on bare ground at the initial stage. But later, we got a mat, which we spread and slept on.

“When the rain started, some huts were constructed for us, and whenever there was rain, we went there until the rain stopped. Usually, we stayed under a tree throughout.

“In terms of feeding, they did their best to see that we were well fed. Sometimes, they even slaughtered cows for us to eat on our request.

“About five days ago, they even shared some money among us. They gave us N10,000 each for our supplies. In case we needed anything, they said we could order anything through them.”

Uthman continued: “I cannot say this is exactly the location of the forest where we were camped.

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“We were kept in a forest that is so large, that possibly cut across three states or four. So, I cannot say particularly this is the forest where we were camped.

“The attackers’ belief is ideologically and religiously driven. We were in the forest; their grievances against the government include the fact that they want to practise their religion, but the government is not willing to allow them practise their religion the way they want. So, this, they say, provoked them.

“Also, some of their members were detained by government for several months. Those detained included children. They feel that they have to counter attack the government. That is what they said made them to launch the attack on the train where they captured us.

“They wanted us to be swapped with their members and the government refused to do that. But along the line, their children were swapped with 11 victims. Since then, there was no any communication between them and the government for continuous exchange.

“Thereafter, they opened a window for our families to come in and see if they could negotiate with our families for us to be released.

“The government did not play any role in my release. Government has failed woefully in its major responsibility of protecting the lives and property of its citizens.

“This attack was launched on government train and for over four months, they couldn’t take any proactive action to see that we were rescued. This is in spite of the huge amount of money allocated to the security agencies in the country.

“I was a die-hard supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari. But his government needs to improve seriously in the area of insecurity, because they have failed the Nigerian people.

“The disturbing thing is that they have resolved to continue to carry out this kind of attack on government interests,” he said.

The Star