Captors of the Abuja-Kaduna bound train passengers received a total of N800 million ransom before the additional seven kidnapped victims were released on Saturday, July 9.
The released victims were among the scores of passengers abducted on March 28, 2022, by terrorists who derailed the moving train.
The release of the seven kidnapped 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, according to Daily Trust.
It was earlier 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.
The families of each of the six Nigerian victims reportedly paid N100 million while the captors pegged the ransom for the Pakistani at N200 million which was also paid.
A source from one of the victims’ families 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,” the source 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 victims said.
“The truth is that the federal government 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 was worth it,” he added.
The lead negotiator for the release of the victims, Kaduna-based newspaper publisher, Tukur Mamu, had on Saturday, July 9, announced that he secured the release of the seven abductees through mediation as he was silent on any ransom paid.
He, however, noted that he had to continue with the mediation because of immense pressure and appeal by the relations and loved ones of the victims.
Meanwhile, the terrorists had released three batches of the captives, including managing director of the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), Alwan Hassan, a group of eleven victims and a pregnant woman released alone.
