Four days after Kuje Prison was attacked and 64 Commanders of Boko-Haram terrorists freed, seven persons that were kidnapped after March 28th train attack have been released after spending more than 100 days in captivity in the forest.
Malam Tukur Mamu, one of the negotiators and Media Consultant to controversial Islamic Cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, who disclosed this, said through his singular efforts, he successfully negotiated the release of “another seven victims.”
Mamu noted that despite his resolve to withdraw completely due to frustrations, he had been under pressure from notably family members of the victims to reconsider his “stand in view of the respect and confidence the abductors have in his ability to sincerely engage in dialogue.”
The seven hostages set free by the terrorists on Saturday, according to him, are Bosede Olurotimi, Abubakar Zubairu, Alhassan Sule and Sadiq Ango Abdullahi, Muhammad Daiyabu Paki, Aliyu Usman as well as the only foreign national from Pakistan, Dr. Muhammad Abuzar Afzal.
Mamu, who is also the Publisher of Kaduna-based Desert Herald newspaper, the release of the seven additional hostages had “vindicated Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Gumi, about what the power of mediation can achieve.”
He added that the seven released hostages had been handed over to the military and that they were on their way to Kaduna.
He said, “I want to assure the nation that everything that was achieved today was singlehandedly initiated and arranged by me with the full support and prayers of my principal, Sheikh Gumi.
“That is why I keep emphasising that government has the power to end the agony of these innocent victims in one day. This is just one individual that sacrifice his life and even integrity. There is no military solution to the current security debacle in Nigeria.
“When you sincerely engage them these guys, even though wicked with misguided religious beliefs, they are listening. I have sufficient evidence to prove that they do listen. It is this power of engagement and sincerity that resulted to the release of these seven victims.
“In whatever I do, I don’t need or require any reward from anybody but from Allah, but I hope the nation we sacrificed our lives for will recognise us.”
He also thanked the General Officer Commanding the one Mechanized Division of the Nigerian Army for the support during the negotiation and the subsequent release of the hostages.
“The location they (abductors) gave is remote, sensitive and risky. There was a military checkpoint before penetrating the forest. My team was stopped by the soldiers but when they told the military our mission, they contacted the GOC and he immediately gave approval for them to proceed.
“After the victims were successfully evacuated, travelling through over 40 kilometres in the forest, they were given a military escort back to Kaduna at the checkpoint,” he added.
He, however, lamented that despite the poor medical condition of many of the released hostages, there was unnecessary security checks which wasted “their time in a military unit at the outskirts of Kaduna and advice that authorities should hasten effort to take them to a medical facility for urgent evaluation.”
On whether ransom was paid, the negotiator said, “The seven rescued victims are in the best position to confirm that. Money cannot achieve what I have done today. I will never involve myself on any issue that has to do with money. I am also under serious watch.
“I am sure if they have evidence against me I cannot be talking freely the manner I used to do. However, this is no time for blame game. We must come together as a nation to confront our challenges. I pray and hope that government will learn a lot of lessons in the development of today. We thank Allah that He uses us to make many happy.”
This was just as he also appealed to the families of the remaining hostages to “actively engage government to secure the release of their loved ones.”
With the release of the seven, 47 of the captives were still in the terrorists’ den because 11 of the victims have been released earlier.
