The terrorists that attacked a train in Kaduna and kidnapped many of the travellers have released another video of their victims.
In the new video, the terrorists are seen manhandling some of the victims and flogging them with sticks while the victims cried and pleaded for help.
One of the terrorists, apparently unhappy with the situation, asked two of his accomplices, Ali and Abdullahi, to stop manhandling the victims.
Afterwards, one of the abducted passengers appeared on camera, narrating how they were kidnapped and lamenting that the Nigerian government has failed to secure their release.
The unnamed captive pleaded with foreign governments – the US, UK and France – to help secure their release.
He said the gunmen have no intention of keeping them longer than necessary in the forest.
Also, a female captive cried and called the Nigerian government ‘wicked.’
In the process, one of the terrorists said the Nigerian government should be blamed for what is happening to the captives because they refused to do the needful.
“We know your plan (Nigerian government) is to rescue the captives with force. Know that this is little of what we can do to them (beating the captives) as we said earlier, if you (the government) did not reach our demand, this place will be a slaughterhouse,” the terrorist said.
The man, who appeared to be a leader of the gang, vowed that his group would kidnap top government officials, politicians and senators.
Although some of the train passengers kidnapped in March have been released, many after the payment of ransom, 43 of the captives including the son of a former military governor of Kano state, Idris Garba, his wife and children are still in captivity.
President Muhammadu Buhari, in June, directed security agencies to explore every means possible to immediately secure the release of the kidnapped passengers.
“As the government continues to review the issue of the kidnapped railway passengers and making all efforts to trace and bring back the 51 or more still being held in custody, Buhari has directed increased efforts – kinetic and non-kinetic to bring the case to a closure,” Garba Shehu, media aide to the president, said.
“Upon the President’s approval, the Government is continuing on the two-lane approach, kinetic and non-kinetic to secure the passengers’ safe release.
“The kidnappers made a demand for the release of their own children and upon the settlement of that issue, they let go eleven of the victims, even though more were expected.
“The setback notwithstanding, the government is not leaving any stone unturned in the efforts to bring all of the hostages back,” Shehu wrote in June.
The daring attack on the train, travelling from Abuja to Kaduna, in March is one of the many attacks by terrorists in Kaduna and other states in the Northwest of the country.
Hundreds of people have been killed in such attacks and millions displaced.
PT
