Updated: How Sheikh Gumi, retired generals facilitate release of 11 abducted train passengers

• Buhari orders victims flown to Abuja

Eleven of the persons abducted during an attack on an Abuja-Kaduna train in March this year have been released.

Those released on Saturday include six females and five males, according to Tukur Mamu, media consultant to Ahmad Gumi, popular Islamic cleric.

He said some retired army generals and a renowned professor at the Usman Dan-Fodio University Sokoto were among the team that contributed in facilitating the release.

The male victims were reportedly released on health ground as part of the request made by the negotiating team while the women who were among the vulnerable were part of the agreement reached with the terrorists.

All the abducted women were planned to be released in the first batch while negotiations for the release of the remaining victims would continue.

But the terrorists reportedly decided to cut down the number of women they initially agreed to release because of the FG’s demand to include those with life-threatening injuries/illnesses among those to be released.

The abductors have initially insisted that the only condition they would accept to start negotiating the release of their victims was when government released their teenage children unconditionally but Mamu insisted that no government will accept such bargain as they must also show signs of goodwill and make acceptable compromises too by way of releasing some of the victims.

Asked to give the full details of the process that led to the release of the 11 victims, Mamu said that disclosing everything would jeopardise ongoing negotiations to release the remaining victims and might even endanger their safety.

He said, “We have succeeded in building confidence now, we will do everything to sustain it in the interest of the innocent victims that are still in captivity. It’s a painful and frustrating process but it must be done if we are to secure the precious lives of the remaining victims”

“The good news is our collective efforts have succeeded in securing the release of 11 of the victims so far. With the continued support of the FG all the remaining victims will be release soon Insha Allah.

“President Buhari must be commended for understanding the gravity of the crisis and for giving directives to the security agencies. The CDS, Gen. Irabo has done excellently well under the circumstance. The Army and the DSS have played the crucial role. There is no military solution to this predicament.

“But behind the scene, Sheikh Gumi by Allah’s will made it possible. He was involved from the day one.”

He said the 11 victims that were released had been flown on the orders of President Muhammadu Buhari to Abuja for medical evaluation and treatment before the decision to reunite them with their families.