The condition of the remaining 27 passengers of the ill-fated Abuja-Kaduna train attack is pathetic, the erstwhile negotiator for their release has said.
In a press release today, Malam Tukur Mamu, the publisher of the Desert Herald newspaper, dispelled the rumour that the Federal Government has secured the release of the remaining victims.
He said the kidnapped men, women and children “are still being held by their abductors,” nearly five months after the “unfortunate and preventable” incident.
Mamu, who holds the traditional title of Dan’iyan Fika in Yobe State, said: “Though I have disengaged myself from negotiating, anxious family members, pressmen and concerned Nigerians have been calling to confirm the veracity of the news while many others justifiably have been celebrating and even congratulating relatives of the innocent victims.
“While it is a news we are all praying earnestly to hear, it is highly irresponsible for peddlers of fake news to circulate sensitive contents that are not only unverifiable, untrue but news items that will certainly trigger anxiety and concerned amongst the family members of those that remained in captivity and millions of their well wishers across the globe.”
He added: “The condition of the remaining victims is still very bad, many of them are sick, the raining season is affecting them so much.”
The publisher had worked previously with the Kaduna-based cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi to facilitate the release of most of the victims of the March train attach.
He urged President Muhammadu Buhari to intensify efforts in securing their release immediately, saying, “The situation remains highly unpredictable while the families of those that are still in the bush are incapacitated in whatever way to negotiate the safe release of their loved ones.”
