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Families Paid N800m To Secure Release Of 7 Kaduna Train Captives

Published

4 years ago

July 11, 2022

The Seven Released Captives

Eight hundred million naira was paid to the terrorists holding captives seized from the AK9 train service attacked on the Abuja–Kaduna route before the additional seven victims were released on Saturday, some families of the victims and other sources knowledgeable of the deal told Daily Trust yesterday.

The released victims were among the dozens of passengers abducted on March 28 by gunmen who derailed the moving train.

No organisation has yet claimed responsibility for the attack but security sources and researchers attributed the daring attack to remnants of Boko Haram working in cahoots with members of the Darul Salam, another group mostly populated by Fulani youths dislodged from Niger and Nasarawa States at different times.

Some however attributed the attack to the Islamic State West Africa (ISWAP) though, atypical of the group, they have not publicly laid claim to it.

The release of the seven victims came amid heightened fears that the terrorists would kill all those in their custody over the alleged failure of the federal government to respond to their demands.

On Tuesday, Daily Trust reported that the captors of the train passengers had sent an audio clip to victims’ families threatening to kill the captives if the families were unwilling to strike a deal with them.

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It was reliably gathered that families of each of the six Nigerian victims paid N100 million while the captors pegged the ransom for the Pakistani at N200 million which was also paid.

Our sources said the terrorists collected the ransom in naira and US dollars.

“Only N200 million was collected in naira, the remaining N600 million was paid in the equivalent of US dollars,” one of our sources said.

Those released were identified as Muhammad Daiyabu Paki, Bosede Olurotimi, Abubakar Zubairu, Alhassan Sule, Sadiq Ango Abdullahi, Aliyu Usman and Muhammad Abuzar Afzal, the Pakistani.

“All the families of the victims felt abandoned by the federal government and therefore had to pay for the release of their loved ones,” another source close to one of the released “The truth is that the FG is indifferent to our plight…Those in power don’t care if the captives are all killed.

“That is why we sold our property and raised the money. It is the same for the families of all those released. We all paid through our nose but Alhamdulillah, it is worth it,” he said.

Daily Trust reports that the lead negotiator for the release of the victims, Kaduna-based newspaper publisher, Tukur Mamu, had on Saturday announced that he secured the release of the seven abductees through mediation as he was silent on any ransom paid.

Mamu, a media consultant to Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, had last week announced his withdrawal from negotiating with the terrorists due to the alleged government’s nonchalant attitude to the plight of the train abductees.

He, however, said he had to continue with the mediation because of immense pressure and appeal by the relations and loved ones of the victims.

Previously, the abductors had released three batches of the captives, including managing director of the Bank of Agriculture, Alwan Hassan, a group of eleven victims and a pregnant woman released alone.

A security source told one of our correspondents that the federal government rarely secures the release of any captive.

“Government is not amenable to releasing terrorists in their custody because of some international convention.

“It is however sad that in Nigeria, while we don’t agree to prisoner swap most of the time, the terrorists always have their way as evident in the recent attack on Kuje Prison where many high profile terrorists were released.

“We don’t have the capacity to protect our prison facilities and we don’t have the capacity to protect the citizens. Hundreds of terrorists have been set free in various prisons…It is unfortunate,” he said.

How B/Haram members partnered bandits for train attack

One of the released captors had, at the weekend, painted sordid details of their journey to the terrorists’ den and life under the insurgents.

According to him, the attack on the train was a collaborative operation between the B/Haram elements who held them and some bandits familiar with the train.

“They entered into an alliance with the bandits so as to benefit from their numbers and their familiarity with the train. In fact, even the location where we were held in the forests around Birnin Gwari they told us it was not their territory, they got permission from some bandits to keep us there,” he said.

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The source, who craved anonymity, said the location where they were held was an open forest with only three huts within the vicinity.

“The men shared two huts while the women and kids used the other one. There were 20 of us in the hut I stayed in as of the time of our release on Saturday. They treated us fairly well without maltreating anyone, other than that first time they lashed us up when their leader called Malam Baffa came to see us immediately after we arrived.

“On some days they would slaughter a cow for us. The latest was the one they killed to celebrate the Sallah. They also preached to us every time either by themselves or through playing recorded preaching including by some prominent clerics,” he said.

‘Captors behind Kuje jailbreak, they jubilated on return’

The source also confirmed that the kidnappers of the travellers were the ones behind the jailbreak at Kuje Medium Security Correctional Centre on the outskirts of Abuja.

He said there was wild jubilation after the Tuesday night jailbreak when those who participated in the attack returned to their enclave with some of the freed prisoners.

The attack on the correctional centre led to the escape of hundreds of prisoners held in the facility, including at least 69 Boko Haram suspects, according to officials.

A day after the attack ISWAP claimed responsibility and released a 33-second video showing its men in action during the siege on the facility.

I saw hell in kidnappers’ den – FCT UBEB chair

FCT Director of the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB), Dr Hassan Suleiman, who was among those released from the kidnappers’ den said that he did not pray that his worst enemy should experience what he went through in the hands of the terrorists.

Dr Suleiman, while narrating his experience in an audio message circulated on WhatsApp obtained by our reporter on Sunday, said, he went through the valley of death.

He recounted that he was on board the ill-fated train from Abuja to Kaduna to attend an agricultural education programme organised by the FCT UBEB, saying many were killed during the attack.

While thanking God for coming out safely from the kidnappers’ den after three months, Suleiman appreciated the people of the FCT, especially members of the All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPPS), as well as other well-wishers, for their prayers that led to his release.

Related Topics:captives families Featured Kaduna Train

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Fatal NURTW Leadership Clash in Osun Leaves Two Dead; State Orders Park Shut Down

Published

5 hours ago

September 15, 2026

Hamdalat Bisiriyu

Fatal NURTW Leadership Clash in Osun Leaves Two Dead; State Orders Park Shut Down

As Olalekan Oyeyemi is buried in Osogbo, authorities transfer murder probe to the State Criminal Investigation Department.

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Lagos Power Outage: Ikeja Electric Blames TCN as Businesses, Homes Groan

Published

9 hours ago

September 15, 2026

Trends Admin

Lagos Power Outage: Ikeja Electric Blames TCN as Businesses, Homes Groan

Residents and businesses in several parts of Lagos are enduring prolonged power outages, with Ikeja Electric attributing the disruption to significant constraints on the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) network.

The development has triggered frustration among electricity consumers who say the prolonged blackout is disrupting household activities and commercial operations, while increasing their dependence on generators and other alternative sources of power.

Ikeja Electric, one of Nigeria’s largest electricity distribution companies, said the situation was caused by a reduction in the amount of electricity available to it from the transmission network.

According to the company, the transmission constraints have affected the volume of power it can distribute to customers across parts of its franchise area, resulting in extended periods of load-shedding.

The company said it was engaging with TCN over the situation and was working to improve supply to affected communities as soon as additional transmission capacity becomes available.

The latest disruption has affected customers in several parts of Lagos, with residents in areas including Akoka, Egbeda, Ojodu Berger, Ogudu and Shomolu reporting prolonged interruptions.

Some residents said electricity supply had been unavailable for several consecutive days, while others reported intermittent restoration followed by further outages.

The disruption has also affected small businesses and households that rely heavily on electricity for daily activities.

Business operators such as barbers, hairdressers, food vendors, cold-room operators, charging-centre owners, internet-dependent businesses and other small enterprises have been particularly affected by the unreliable supply.

For many households, prolonged outages have also affected refrigeration, water pumping, phone charging, internet access and other basic activities that depend on electricity.

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The situation has forced some residents and businesses to increase their use of generators, adding to operating costs at a time when fuel and other energy expenses remain high.

Some consumers have also resorted to commercial charging centres and other paid alternatives to keep phones, rechargeable devices and business equipment operational.

The latest disruption comes amid continuing challenges across Nigeria’s electricity value chain, where problems involving generation, gas supply, transmission infrastructure and distribution networks can affect electricity availability to consumers.

TCN operates the country’s transmission network, while electricity distribution companies such as Ikeja Electric are responsible for delivering available power to customers through their distribution networks.

This distinction is significant in the latest Lagos outage because Ikeja Electric has attributed the immediate supply shortfall to constraints on the transmission network, rather than announcing a fault affecting its entire distribution system.

Power interruptions in Lagos, however, have previously resulted from different causes.

Parts of the state have experienced outages linked to distribution equipment faults, infrastructure damage, planned maintenance and other incidents affecting electricity infrastructure.

Earlier disruptions in Lagos have also been associated with incidents such as tanker fires damaging electricity infrastructure, while transmission maintenance and constraints have caused supply reductions in other instances.

The varying causes mean that the duration and geographical spread of an outage can differ significantly from one community or electricity feeder to another.

Ikeja Electric has apologised to affected customers over the latest disruption and said it understands the difficulties caused by the reduced supply.

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The company said it was monitoring developments and engaging relevant stakeholders in an effort to restore improved electricity supply.

The latest development has again highlighted concerns over the vulnerability of Lagos residents and businesses to fluctuations in electricity supply.

For many small businesses, prolonged blackouts mean additional spending on diesel or petrol-powered generators, while households face similar costs when alternative electricity sources are required.

The disruption also comes at a time when businesses are already dealing with high operating costs, making extended reliance on generators an additional financial burden.

Consumers have increasingly called for more reliable electricity supply and better coordination among the different operators in Nigeria’s power sector.

The TCN, generation companies and distribution companies form interconnected parts of the electricity supply chain, meaning a constraint at one stage can quickly affect consumers downstream.

For Ikeja Electric customers, the immediate expectation is that transmission constraints will ease and supply will gradually improve across the affected feeders.

Until then, residents and businesses in the affected areas may continue to experience irregular electricity supply depending on available transmission capacity and the operational condition of individual distribution feeders.

The latest outage has therefore renewed the debate over Nigeria’s long-standing electricity challenges and the need for sustained investment in power generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure to provide more stable electricity for homes and businesses.

For Lagos, where thousands of businesses depend on electricity for daily operations, prolonged outages carry consequences beyond inconvenience, affecting productivity, household welfare and the cost of doing business.

Ikeja Electric said it would continue to provide updates as the situation develops and work with TCN to improve supply to affected customers.

Lagos Power Outage: Ikeja Electric Blames TCN as Businesses, Homes Groan

metro

Sokoto Shuts Mosque After Cleric Stabbing, Names Ulamas Probe Panel

Published

9 hours ago

September 15, 2026

Trends Admin

Sokoto Shuts Mosque After Cleric Stabbing, Names Ulamas Probe Panel

The Sokoto State Government has ordered the immediate closure of the Musa Lukuwa Jumu’at Mosque in Mabera, Sokoto metropolis, after a cleric was stabbed during Friday prayers and his attacker was killed by an angry mob.

The mosque, which the government describes as a crime scene, will remain shut until further notice. A committee of Islamic scholars (Ulamas) has also been constituted to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the incident and recommend measures to prevent a recurrence. The announcement was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Director General, Media and Publicity, Government House, Abubakar Bawa.

The crisis began on Friday, September 11, 2026, shortly after Malam Musa Lukuwa led the Jumu’at prayer. A young man among the worshippers attacked the cleric, stabbing him twice in the neck and left hand. Worshippers overpowered the suspect and beat him to death before security operatives could arrive. Police spokesman DSP Ahmad Rufa’i confirmed that the cleric was rushed to the Specialist Hospital in Sokoto, where he was treated and later discharged. Lukuwa subsequently appeared in a video circulated on social media, with a plaster covering part of his neck, appealing for calm and assuring his followers that he was in stable condition. The Commissioner of Police, Hayatu Hassan Shaffa, condemned the mob action as jungle justice and urged residents to allow due process. “It is imperative that we allow the law to take its course to ensure justice is served appropriately,” Shaffa said. Security personnel have been deployed to Mabera and other flashpoints, while investigations into both the stabbing and the mob killing continue. No arrest has been made in connection with the lynching.

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The attack was reportedly linked to a previous sermon in which the cleric cited a Hadith that some scholars, particularly those associated with the Tariqa order, considered offensive to the parents of Prophet Muhammad. Following the controversy, a young man identified as Mai Barewa allegedly threatened to kill Malam Musa Lukuwa and his senior student, Malam Murtala Assada. The cleric and his followers reported the threat to the police, leading to the suspect’s arrest and arraignment. A court later ordered that he be remanded in a correctional facility while the case remained pending. Four days before Friday’s incident, the clerics had also visited the Sokoto State Government House to submit a written complaint. The incident triggered protests and heightened tension around Sahara, Bello Way and Aliyu Jodi, with some businesses closing temporarily as security operatives moved into strategic locations. It came only days after protests erupted over the continued remand of another cleric, Dahiru Mai Barewa, who was accused of threatening Lukuwa and Malam Murtala Bello Assada. Police subsequently arrested about 20 people in connection with that protest.

The government said the committee would examine the circumstances surrounding the tension and make recommendations in the interest of peace and stability in the state. It also ordered a full investigation into the attack and the subsequent killing at the mosque. The state government further dissociated itself from any person, irrespective of status, who hides under the pretext of religion to undermine or disrespect Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), his parents, household and companions. It reaffirmed its “total obedience and respect” for the Prophet, his parents, household and companions, while urging residents to continue to show love and compassion to him. The government appealed to residents to desist from making inciting statements capable of jeopardising the peaceful coexistence for which Sokoto is known. It assured residents of its commitment to protecting the lives and property of every citizen in the state.

Malam Musa Lukuwa is an Islamic cleric from Lukuwa village in Gwadabawa Local Government Area of Sokoto State. He was among the early scholars associated with the Izala movement when it began gaining prominence in Sokoto State. He later became associated with the Salafiyya school of thought and established his own mosque, where he teaches Islamic studies and preaches to his followers. Lukuwa is known for his strict emphasis on adherence to the Qur’an and Hadith. His interpretation of religious practices, particularly issues surrounding the sighting of the crescent moon, has at times differed from the position announced by the Sultan of Sokoto. He maintains that decisions on the commencement and termination of fasting should be based on what he considers credible evidence of the sighting of the crescent, in line with the teachings of the Qur’an and Hadith.