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Tag: terrorists

  • How Terrorists Collected N800 million To Release 7 Abuja-Kaduna Train Passengers

    How Terrorists Collected N800 million To Release 7 Abuja-Kaduna Train Passengers

    Barely 24 hours after Sheikh Ahnad Gumi ‘s spokesman, Malam Tukur Mamu secured the release of 7 more abducted train passengers from terrorists who attacked the Kaduna bound AK9 train , sources close to the victims families have alleged that about N800 million in dollar equivalent was paid as ransom to the terrorists.

    Although the lead negotiator, Tukur Mamu had reiterated that he secured the release of the 7 victims through mediation and was quite on whether ransom was paid, a source who said his brother was among the freed captives ,alleged that the sum of N100 million in dollar equivalent was paid as ransom before each victim regained freedom.

    According to the source ,one of the freed captives had offered to singlehandedly pay the terrorists N200 million so that they release the entire remaining captives.

    “.But the terrorists rejected the offer and asked every hostage to pay 100 million and breathe the air of freedom.”

    “Those who could not pay are still in the forest. The terrorists were claiming that they spent huge sum Of money in taking care of the hostages over the past 3 months,” the source said.

    “For each of the 6 Nigerian victims , their families paid N100 million .But the terrorists collected N200 million for the foreigner, a Pakistan nationale.”

    “We learned that only N200 million was collected in Naira, but the remaining N600 million was paid in dollars.”

    “Since government couldn’t help and there were threats on the lives of the victims, we sold our property and other belongings to pay the money.” The source said.

  • Kaduna Train Attack: Terrorists Release Seven More Kidnapped Passengers

    Kaduna Train Attack: Terrorists Release Seven More Kidnapped Passengers

    Seven more kidnapped passengers of the March 28 train attack in Kaduna state have been released by the terrorists who attacked the train.

    The victims were released by their abductors on Saturday after spending over 100 days in captivity.

    The security agencies are yet to confirm the development, but a member of the negotiating team and media consultant to Kaduna based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, Tukur Mamu, told Channels Television that the kidnapped victims were released based on dialogue and negotiation with the terrorists.

    But he did not say if any ransom was paid or not before the terrorists released the victims.

    Among the freed passengers according to Mamu, include the son of the Chairman of Northern Elders Forum, Professor Ango Abdullahi, Sadiq Abdullahi, Bosede Olurotimi, Abubakar Zubairu and Alhassan Sule. Others are Muhammad Daiyabu Paki, Aliyu Usman and the only foreign national of Pakistani origin, Dr. Muhammad Abuzar Afzal.

    Mamu disclosed that the seven released hostages have been handed over to the military and that they were in their way to Kaduna.

    Mamu, while reiterating the power of mediation in addressing the security challenges bedeviling the country, claimed that he singlehandedly facilitated and initiated the release of the seven kidnapped victims with support from Sheikh Ahmad Gumi.

    “That is why I keep emphasising that government has the power to end the agony of this innocent victims in one day,” he said.

    “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 this guys even though wicked with misguided religious beliefs, they are listening. I have sufficient evidence to probe that they due listen. It is this power of engagement and sincerity that resulted to the release of this 7 victims”.

    While he thanks 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, Mamu 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.

    “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. And after the victims were successfully evacuated, travelling through over 40 kilometers in the forest, they were given a military escort back to Kaduna at the checkpoint”.

  • Scores Killed As Armed Herdsmen Attack Catholic Church In Ondo

    Scores Killed As Armed Herdsmen Attack Catholic Church In Ondo

    Suspected terrorists are said to have blown up St Francis Catholic Church in Owo, the headquarters of Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State.

    Emerging reports suggest that many worshippers have died and several others have been left injured following the explosion at the church which is situated close to the palace of the Olowo of Owo

    As of the time of filing this report, the security operatives were yet to give a detailed statement regarding the development.

    However, Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has expressed deep sadness over what he calls an unprovoked attack and killing of innocent people of Owo, worshiping at the St Francis Catholic Church, Owa-luwa Street.

    In his reaction to the tragic event, Governor Akeredolu said the vile and satanic attack is a calculated assault on the peace-loving people of Owo Kingdom who have enjoyed relative peace over the years.

    “It is a black Sunday in Owo. Our hearts are heavy. Our peace and tranquility have been attacked by the enemies of the people. This is a personal loss, an attack on our dear state.

    “I have spoken to the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Ondo, Most Reverend Jude Arogundade, who is presently on his way to Owo. Similarly, I have had to cut short my party’s national assignment in Abuja and visit Owo immediately.

    “This is an unexpected development. I am shocked to say the least. Nevertheless, We shall commit every available resource to hunt down these assailants and make them pay. We shall never bow to the machinations of heartless elements in our resolves to rid our state of criminals.

    “I commiserate with my people in Owo, particularly families of the those who lost their lives to this ugly and unfortunate attack. I extend my condolences to Olowo of Owo, Oba Gbadegesin Ogunoye as well as the Catholic Church,” Akeredolu stated.

    The governor urged the people to remain calm and vigilant. Do not take laws into your hands, adding that he has spoken to the heads of the security agencies.

    Akeredolu further stated that he has equally been assured that security operatives would be deployed to monitor and restore normalcy to Owo kingdom.

  • Kaduna Train Attack: We’ll start killing Victims in 7 days if Demands are not Met — Kidnappers

    Kaduna Train Attack: We’ll start killing Victims in 7 days if Demands are not Met — Kidnappers

    Terrorists who kidnapped passengers on the Abuja-Kaduna bound train that was attacked on 28th March 2022 have urged the government to release their children allegedly kept in a Yola detention facility.

    They threatened to start killing the passengers in captivity within 7 days unless their demands are met

    Leaders of the terrorists spoke on phone to the spokesman of Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, Malam Tukur Mamu, ‘And Dan Iyan Fika.

    In the audio of the conversations between Malam Tukur Mamu and the leaders of the terrorists that executed the Abuja-Kaduna train attack, the terrorists claimed that the Federal Government suspended the resumption of the train service because of their threats,

    ”The government suspended the resumption of the train service indefinitely because of our threats and we repeat, if our conditions are not met, the resumption of the train service is to the detriment of the government and the passengers”.

    “We don’t need money. We have a good reason for doing what we did, until our demands are met none of the victims will come out alive even if it means we all die with them. They are well taken care of as you can see from the pictures we sent to you via WhatsApp but we assure you that this will not continue”.

    “We choose you (Tukur Mamu) to convey this important message to the government, the families of the victims and Nigerians in general because we believe you won’t alter our message and we have seen you severally with Sheikh Gumi in the forest, therefore, we recognized the fearlessness in you”.

    The leader of the terrorists; Abu Barra said that it’s been two months since the abduction and anything can happen to the abducted passengers henceforth.

    He explained their reasons for the abduction as a retaliation for the arrest and detention of their children by the security agencies.

    “Our children numbering about 8 between the ages of one to seven years are currently being held at an orphanage in Jimeta, Adamawa State under the supervision of the Nigerian Army”, he said.

    “The names of our children are; Abdulrahman, Bilkisu, Usman, Ibrahim and Juwairiyyah. They were forcefully taken from our wives in Nasarawa and taken to the orphanage in Yola”.

    “For any continued discussion on the release of these passengers and a safe resumption of the train service, our children must be released unconditionally. Only then we will release some of the abducted victims, especially the women while other passengers will be released on a prisoner exchange with some of our arrested comrades by the government, he continued.

    Abu Barra said that the pictures of the passengers they sent earlier, were among some of the pictures they sent to the negotiation team of the government as proof of the well being of the victims. They said since then the government had been lacklustre.”

    “Barra said they decided to come to a GSM enabled location with one of the female victims to talk to Malam Mamu and as a confirmation of their claims. Mamu said he could hear her cries with a very low voice that probably indicates exhaustion pleading with him to please talk to the government on their behalf for a swift intervention on their release.”

    He threatened that, if within seven days the government does not respond to their demands, they will stop feeding the victims and will start slaughtering them one after the other and if the government doesn’t respond after that, then Nigerians should forget using the Abuja-Kaduna rail line as well as the Kaduna-Abuja high way.

    “If the government decided not to respond so be it. We are warning Nigerians, especially those that are patronizing the train that if this matter is not resolved peacefully, the day they decided to attack us or do anything funny, passengers or commuters should forget to use the train or follow the Abuja-Kaduna road because we will be consistent and they can’t stop us. We believe that you will deliver this message as it is”, he said.

    “Therefore, we rely on you and urged you to convey this important message to everyone”, Abu Barra said.

    Malam Tukur Mamu replied that he understands the predicament of the government in resolving the abduction imbroglio but stated that every responsible government will look into saving innocent passengers’ lives and make painful compromises where necessary even if it’s against the policy of the administration.

    Malam Mamu then explained that prisoner exchange with known criminals on matters of national interest is a global practice and has happened in many developed countries like the United States.

    He stressed the need to avoid any military action that will lead to collateral damage and the loss of innocent lives.

    “Time is not on our side, the government must understand that they are dealing with persons with a misguided ideology and tainted religious belief. These people are not scared of death, they seem to believe that they are martyrs when they die. It will be a serious mistake to take this threat lightly. I believe an opportunity has been created for us to explore to save the lives of those innocent victims.

    For me, if these innocent will regain their freedom because of my involvement and provided that will lead to relative peace and security on our highways and rail lines I wouldn’t mind if I die in the process. We must accept the fact that security alone on the Abuja-Kadunvictima highways remains more fragile than ever and the solution is not militarily alone, especially in a country where impending attacks can hardly be dictated and stopped”, he said.

  • Zamfara: Three Soldiers nabbed for collaborating with Terrorists

    Zamfara: Three Soldiers nabbed for collaborating with Terrorists

    Three soldiers have been arrested for colluding with terrorists in Zamfara state.

    One was arrested for selling ammunition while the other two were arrested for collaborating with terrorists.

    Our Correspondent gathered from a source, who said there has been a case of missing ammunition at the Forward Operations Base in Shinkafi local government area of Zamfara state of which the case was investigated and it revealed three soldiers were involved, two were collaborating with bandits and one was selling ammunition to bandits.

    The soldier confessed to selling about 100 rounds of ammunition 7.62 mm sp each at the rate of N100,000 and promised to sell another 1000 rounds of the same ammunition at the rate of N1million before he was nabbed.

    The Director of Army Public relations, Brig. Gen Onyema Nwachukwu, could not be reached through calls or comments,thus, the matter was still been awaited.

  • Insecurity: We’ll Never Allow Terrorists Have Their Way – Sultan

    Insecurity: We’ll Never Allow Terrorists Have Their Way – Sultan

    The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, has described bandits as total terrorists who must be eliminated.

    The monarch stated this when the Chief of Army Staff, General Faruk Yahya, paid him Sallah homage on Tuesday.

    “We will never allow terrorists to have their ways. The more we strategize to defeat them the better for all of us.”

    The Sultan said the challenges are testing the capacity of security operatives.

    “Like what Mr President day on Sallah day, I too believe we are bringing this to an end,” he maintained

    However, the Chief of Army Staff promised to get Bello Turji and other bandits terrorising the northwestern part of Nigeria.

    Speaking at the ground breaking ceremony of forward operation base in Isa local government area of Sokoto state on Tuesday, he assured that there was no resting place for terrorists.

    “We will reach to where they are hiding, defeat them and recover their weapons,” he reiterated

    According to him, the essence of establishing the base was to shorten the distance to bandits’ dens.

    “We know how important Isa is to our operation. It holds a strategic position in our operation. We are establishing forward base in important places in our effort to improve the reach to bandits, terrorists and other criminals, defeat them and recover their weapons,” he said

    He said that, more foots, equipment and other enablers would be deployed to the base.

    He thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his sustained support to the army.

  • I Will Never Negotiate with Terrorists Again – Masari

    I Will Never Negotiate with Terrorists Again – Masari

    Apparently regretting his rapprochement with terrorists in Katsina State, Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, has vowed not to negotiate or trust the hoodlums again because of their nefarious activities despite the two peace deals he had with them.

    The governor added that with the benefit of hindsight, his government should never have negotiated with the terrorists, let alone grant them amnesty because “they are not propagating any ideology, they are criminals.”

    Masari explained that some of the ‘so-called repentant’ terrorists who were released from custody as a result of the peace deals are now leaders of terrorists with more than 100 gangs and various camps in Zamfara, Sokoto and Katsina states.

    In an interactive session with members of a high-powered foreign delegation led by the Head of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Nigeria, Mohammed Yahya, at the Government House, Katsina, Masari insisted there was no need to negotiate with the criminals.

    The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Representative in Nigeria, Peter Hawkins, Head of Cooperation, European Union in Nigeria, Cécile Tassin-Pelzer and Norway Ambassador to Nigeria, Knut Eiliv Lein, were among the delegation.

    Although Governor Masari said he never regretted his decision at the time, he admitted that information available to him confirmed that engaging the terrorists who had killed and raped innocent citizens in the state was not the right thing to do.

    Consequently, he urged the United Nations Development Programme, European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN) to support the Nigerian government with the provision of technologies that will enable security agencies to have access to the nation’s ungoverned forest areas.

    He said: “Because they (terrorists) said they are Muslims, we went as far as asking them to swear to the Holy Qur’an that they will never participate in banditry again. All of them did in this office but even those that have been in jail for over two years that were brought out are today bandits’ leaders.

    “In fact, I will never trust them again because we realised they are not ideologically inclined. So, we are negotiating with thieves. Anybody who says he is going to engage them on anything is free. I will pray for him but I will not do it again.

    “They have failed me once; they have failed me twice so I will be a fool to go the same way. And you even see the Zamfara governor who engaged them. They have failed him more than three times.”

    Masari added: “They are common criminals. Even in Katsina not to talk of Zamfara, there are more than 100 gangs: a gang of two, three, four and a gang of 10, so with whom are you going to talk?”

    Earlier, Yahya told the governor that the delegation was in the state to ascertain the security challenges afflicting the state and know what the international community can collectively do towards the development of the state.

    According to him, the delegation was in Sokoto and Zamfara states as well as Niger Republic on the same mission where it discussed with security agencies, stakeholders, religious and community leaders

  • Bandit-terrorists kidnap mother, baby, 2 others in Zaria

    Bandit-terrorists kidnap mother, baby, 2 others in Zaria

    By Joyce Babayeju

    A mother, her baby and two other peasants were kidnapped by terrorists in Zaria, Kaduna State.

    Journalists were told that “in the early hours of Friday, gunmen attacked the Tudun Mun tsira village of Zangon Shanu, Samaru in Sabon Gari Local Government Area of Kaduna State”

    “They kidnapped a nursing mother and her baby. An elderly man, Mallam Abubakar Garba Aliyu and his son, Salim Abubakar, were also taken away.”

    ” Abubakar and his family relocated to the area recently. Today he was kidnapped,” a local said.

    “The gunmen who rode motorbikes were many. They took over the area with their guns from the backside of the University .”

    “Initially, we thought they were from kasuwar Da’a axis in Giwa Local Government Area which is close to us.

    “They kidnapped the nursing mother and her baby at Tudun Mun Tsira village before proceeding to Hayin Liman where they kidnapped Alhaji Abubakar and his son.”

    Journalists were still awaiting a reaction from the authorities on the sad development.

  • Insecurity: Niger to pay for information on terrorists

    Insecurity: Niger to pay for information on terrorists

    By Isaac Kertyo

    The Niger State Government said it will reward people who supply credible intelligence on the activities, movements and whereabouts of terrorists across the state.

    The state also said it has established a situation room for coordinating intelligence on the security situation.

    Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mary Noel-Berje, said the security situation has become a nightmare in the state, adding that government was doing its best to reverse the trend.

    “Governor Sani-Bello has established a situation and control room where credible intelligence is being reported to the security agencies. The state government, through the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Internal Security, has announced a reward for those who are ready to supply credible intelligence on the terrorists,” she said.

    Berje further said the activities of the bandits have caused a severe setback in the government’s programmes and projects.

  • Terrorists set ablaze Niger security camp, ransack armory

    Terrorists set ablaze Niger security camp, ransack armory

    Terrorists on Thursday night razed Allawa Secondary School in Shiroro local government area of Niger State, which serves as camp for the Joint Security Task Force.

    The terrorists also ransacked the armoury and took away the military patrol van.

    The Nation learnt that the terrorists stormed the town with sophisticated weapons and proceeded to the security camp, which is the Allawa Secondary School.

    The Co-Convener, Concerned Shiroro Youths, Sani Abubakar Kokki who confirmed the incident said that there was no loss.

    Kokki lamented the renewed ceaseless attacks by the terrorists saying that the people are being massacred senselessly.

    “We are now hopeless, hapless and helpless, our survival has since been placed on life support.

    “Our vulnerability has reached the highest boiling point to the extent of now living at the mercy of dreaded criminals.

    “This current reality is unfortunate, disheartening, saddening and frightening,” he said.
    By The Nation