The abductors of the abducted Kaduna-Abuja train passengers have released another video where the victims were being flogged by the terrorists.
One of the terrorists in the video vowed to abduct President Muhammadu Buhari, Kaduna State Governor, Nasiru el-Rufai and other prominent Nigerians and destabilise the country if their demands were not met.
The terrorists also threatened to kill and sell off some of the remaining Kaduna-Abuja train passengers in their custody.
He said, “This is our message to the government of Nigeria and just as you have seen these people here, by God’s grace, you will see your leaders; your senators and governors will come before us. These ones you are seeing here, we will keep some as our slaves and sell them off just as our Imam told you in the past.
“Just like the Chibok girls that were sold off, we will equally sell these ones as slaves. If you don’t adhere to our demands, we will kill the ones we need to kill and sell the remaining. By God’s grace, El-Rufai, Buhari, we will bring you here.”
The terrorists had attacked the Abuja-Kaduna train on March 28, killing eight and kidnapping no fewer than 61 passengers.
The Managing Director of the Bank of the Agriculture, Alwan Hassan, was the first to be released after reportedly paying a N100million ransom on April 7.
Seventy-five days after the incidents, the terrorists released 11 persons held in captivity which according to Tukur Mamu, the negotiator and media consultant to the Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, described as was achieved “following a series of robust engagement with the terrorists and with the approval of the Federal Government.”
However, on July 9, seven of the victims were later released after reportedly paying N800 million ransom.
The remaining 43 victims were told to pay N100million to secure the release of their loved ones.
In the two minutes, 50 seconds video, made available to newsmen, yesterday, the male victims were crying as they were being flogged by the terrorists.
One of the victims, a male said the terrorists don’t plan to keep them hostage for more than a week, except for the laxity of the Federal Government in paying up the demanded ransom.
He also called on the international community and the United Nations to come to their rescue as the Nigerian government was not showing any interest in setting them free.
Meanwhile, the Presidency, yesterday, said that the country’s security and defense forces are battle ready to deal with the terrorists anywhere they are.
The Presidency also explained that the dilemma the security forces are having in bombing the location of the perpetrators of Abuja-Kaduna train kidnap was the collateral damage it may cause the innocent people and the outcry such action may generate.
The presidency statement came on the heels of the threat by terrorists to kidnap President Muhammadu Buhari and the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai.
In a statement titled, “Latest version of terror propaganda and military readiness”, issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, the Presidency called on the media not to give much publicity to terror groups.
The statement read: “Terrorist activity using propaganda and the use of violence to force governments to accept or submit to political demands is not new all over world.
“The country’s security and defense forces are not clueless or helpless. They have their plans and ways of doing things which they will not display in the media.
“The dilemmas in dealing with the specific case of train terrorists are manifold: punitive action like the popular call for carpet bombing of the known locations may assuage the desire of an angry public for revenge, but what about the hostages?
“They have committed no offense. All they did was to board a train.
“It suffices to say that the security forces are not relenting. They are acutely aware of their duties, responsibilities and what the nation expects of them. Whenever they embark upon those actions, they expect that the public should provide them with the needed support.
“Terrorism is a global scourge that must be fought by all actors- the military, the civilian population and the communication service providers. This is the only way safe havens of terrorists are eliminated in every part of the world.
“To help the nation against ongoing situation, the media must increase their support for the fight against the exploitation of the internet and social media for terrorist purposes.
“The Presidency, in the meantime wishes to reassure the public that the President has done all, and even more than what is expected of him as Commander-in-Chief by way of morale, material and equipment support to the military and expects nothing short of good results in the immediate.”