Terrorists on Tuesday freed five additional passengers of the Abuja-Kaduna train attack.

The freed passengers include Prof. Mustapha Umar Imam, a medical doctor at the Usman Dan Fodio University Teaching Hospital (UDUS), Sokoto.

Others released on Tuesday included Akibu Lawal, Abubakar Ahmed Rufai, Mukthar Shu’aibu and Sidi Aminu Sharif.

Prof. Imam was recently shot during a ‘friendly’ fire while in the custody of the terrorists.

The Abuja-Kaduna-bound train was attacked on March 28.

Publisher of Desert Herald Newspaper, Malam Tukur Mamu (Dan-Iyan FIKA), said he voluntarily engaged in negotiating the release of the train victims but backed out due to threats to his life, personal integrity and lack of support from the Federal Government.

He confirmed the release of five additional victims of the AK9 Train attack.

Mamu said all the five released victims were in his Kaduna office on Tuesday afternoon immediately after their released to thank him for his past efforts.

One of the abducted passengers was recently shot dead by the gunmen.

The victim, identified as Mohammed Al’Amin, was said to have been shot dead last week.

The relatives of the kidnapped victims on Monday stormed the Ministry of Transportation in Abuja to protest the prolonged stay of the abductees in the terrorists’ den.

The protesters held placards with various inscriptions which read, ‘Federal Government please release the train attack victims’, ‘Our blood pressure keeps rising every day’, ‘ We hardly sleep with our two eyes closed’, among others.

Family members of the kidnapped victims have since the incident occurred in March been calling on the Federal Government to ensure the freedom of the abductees.

The protest came barely 24 hours after the abductors released a video showing the victims being tortured in captivity.

The terrorists, in the video, also threatened to kill the abducted train passengers and sell out others if their demands are not met by the Federal Government.

The assailants have since released some of the abductees, while millions of naira were reportedly paid to secure their release.

In his reaction, President Buhari assured families of the abducted train passengers that efforts were ongoing to ensure they regain freedom from bandits’ captivity.

Buhari further ordered security agencies to increase their efforts to rescue the abducted passengers, noting that the Federal Government was continuing on the two-lane approach, kinetic and non-kinetic to secure the passengers’ safe release.

The President, in a statement issued by his spokesman, Garba Shehu, disclosed that the abductors made a demand for the release of their members, adding that upon the settlement of that issue, the terrorists released eleven abducted train passengers.

The Star