Govt either meets us or we turn here to abattoir, Kaduna train attack terrorists threaten
A screengrab image of the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), Alwan Ali-Hassan, flanked by the terrorists.
By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo, Kaduna
The terrorists that attacked the Abuja-Kaduna bound train have threatened to kill those in their captivity unless the government meets them.
In a video, they said: “Government should hasten to meet us before we turn this place into an abattoir because killing these people is nothing to us.
“It’s not about money. We can’t do this for money. The government knows what we want.”
Already, they’ve released the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), Alwan Ali-Hassan.
They claimed in a video that the release was on compassionate grounds because Ali-Alwan was old and had pleaded with then while in captivity.
However, a source confided in journalists that contrary to the terrorists claim, N100 million or so was allegedly paid as ransom before the Managing Director was released.
In the short video, which went viral, four of the terrorists were seen in military uniform wielding arms, with the Managing Director in the middle.
Behind them was something that looked like the wreckage of an Amoured Personnel Carrier (APC).
In the clip, believed to be recorded before the Managing Director was set free, the four terrorists used clothing materials to cover their faces, two wore turban while the Managing Director was in a white kaftan and a cap.
One who appeared to be a leader started talking by praying in Arabic, before saying in Hausa that they were responsible for the train attack.
He said they abducted the passengers and called on government to negotiate with them or they kill the captives.
From the statement, it appeared money was not their primary concern but something else which some believed could be a prisoner swap.
Speaking in Hausa, the terrorist said “we are the people who abducted these people in the train some days back.
“This one (the MD) you can see him, because of his old age and in this month of Ramadan, we pitied him and decided to release him to his relations.
“The government should know that this is nothing. We just pitied him. He is here, if he has additional remarks to make.”
