Information has emerged that the bandits, who attacked the Kaduna-Abuja train, are asking for the release of their commanders in government custody in exchange for the release of the over 100 individuals abducted from the bombed train on March 28.
Security sources told The Punch that the bandits made this known in the negotiation channels opened with them following the abduction of the train passengers.
Recall that eight bodies were recovered from the train attack scene by security operatives, while 26 persons were reported injured.
The Nigerian Railway Corporation management declared that it was unable to establish contact with 163 passengers and seven crew members who boarded the train.
The bandits had released one of their hostages, the Managing Director, Bank of Agriculture, Alwan Hassan, due to his age.
In a video showing the victim in their midst, the gunmen said the government knew what they wanted and threatened to kill the remaining hostages if their demands were not met.
On Sunday, the terrorists released another video where some of the captives were seen calling on the government to come to their rescue.
Meanwhile, AFP reported that gunmen who attacked the train had released a video showing about two dozens of the hostages they kidnapped in the assault.
In the two-minute video, about 24 people are seen sitting in a forest area, including men and women. At least one man appears to be from South-East Asia while at least one another appears Caucasian.
Behind them, a group of gunmen stand in a line.
“We are the passengers who left Abuja for Kaduna on Monday on March 28, 2022. We were seized on our way,” one man said in Hausa language in the video.
“Since then it is only us that knows the dire situation we are in, there are women and children, there are aged people with health challenges.”
