The remaining 50 abducted passengers of the AK-9 Abuja-Kaduna train are being threatened by snake bites and sicknesses.
Mallam Tukur Mamu, who is the negotiator and media consultant to Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, raised the alarm on Monday.
The PUNCH reported that the bandits had earlier released 11 out of the 61 victims of the abducted train passengers after almost three months in their custody.
Mamu urged the Federal Government to hasten up the release of the remaining 50 passengers still in the terrorists’ den before it would get too late.
However, he announced his withdrawal from being part of the negotiation team. No reason was given other than “for personal reasons.”
According to him, the health status of the remaining hostages is fast deteriorating owing to the fact that they are being exposed to dangerous conditions.
He warned that they might not come out alive unless urgent measures were taken by the government geared towards the release of the rest of the abducted passengers languishing in the bandits’ den.
“This is no time to politicise issues. The lives of very promising, innocent Nigerians are involved in this. Their health condition is deteriorating by the day. Even animals without proper care will hardly survive in the environment they are forced to leave for nearly three months now.
“I believe the government is aware and has taken note of the testimony of the 11 victims that were secured. It makes me sad when issues like this should not be treated with dispatch, with the seriousness and speed it requires.
“Government must activate all avenues of diplomacy. It must be a top of its priority now. We must not be distracted by prioritising 2023 as I am sadly seeing now, while there are visible and glaring threats of losing the remaining victims.
“There has been no major pronouncement lately by all the major political gladiators. All the major political parties have expectedly kept mute. Is it because none of them or their family members are involved?”, He added.
Mamu, who is also Publisher of the Kaduna-based newspaper, Desert Herald, said apart from lack of diagnosis and treatment coupled with poor nutrition, and poor sanitary condition, the hostages were being exposed to “unbearable forest life, most of the innocent hostages have lately developed series of life-threatening complications with some vomiting even blood.”
He also disclosed that the condition of the hostages underlining illnesses was fast deteriorating while urging the Federal Government to act fast.
He added, “I can confirm to you that snakes are many in that forest. Some of them are victims of snake bites as they appear frequently at the night. They only depend on the local solution to treat it.
“The bites as we know can be life-threatening. Government is the only authority with the means and powers to end this crisis as soon as possible. And with the right approach, I can assure you it can be achieved within days or weeks. We have proven that in the release of the 11 victims.
“I keep repeating that in circumstances like this, particularly a bargain that will secure the lives of innocent people from dreaded killers, the government must be prepared to make compromises and to take painful decisions.
‘If we can tolerate corrupt officials that are stealing billions every day as a result of which poverty and insecurity increase, for me it is not out of place to use a negligible part of such stolen resources to secure such victims whenever the need arises. And since the government has been alerted, they must be prepared to take full responsibility.”
