After actively negotiating and participating in the dialogue that led to the release of 11 passengers of the Abuja-Kaduna train kidnapped on March 28, 2022, Kaduna-based publisher and Media Consultant to Sheikh Dr Ahmad Abubakar, Mal Tukur Mamu (Dan-Iyan Fika) has again negotiated the release of another seven of the kidnap victims on Saturday.
LEADERSHIP learnt that despite Mamu’s resolve to withdraw completely from negotiation due to a series of setbacks and frustrations, which he blamed on the federal government, he had been under tremendous pressure from family members of the victims to reconsider his stance in view of the respect and confidence the abductors have in his ability to sincerely engage in dialogue with them.
Those released on Saturday include Bosede Olurotimi, Abubakar Zubairu, Alhassan Sule and Sadiq Ango Abdullahi.
Other lucky passengers were Muhammad Daiyabu Paki, Aliyu Usman and the only foreign national of Pakistani origin, Dr Muhammad Abuzar Afzal.
While speaking on the development, Mamu said the success of the Saturday’s release of the victims has vindicated Sheikh Dr Ahmad Gumi about what the power of mediation can achieve.
“I want to assure the nation that everything that was achieved today was singlehandedly initiated and arranged by me with the full support and prayers of my principal, Sheikh Gumi.
“That is why I keep emphasising that government has the power to end the agony of this innocent victims in one day. This is just one individual that sacrificed his life and even integrity. There is no military solution to the current security debacle in Nigeria. When you sincerely engage these guys, even though wicked with misguided religious beliefs, they are listening. I have sufficient evidence to prove that they do listen. It is this power of engagement and sincerity that resulted to the release of this seven victims.
“In whatever I do, I don’t need or require any reward from anybody but from Allah and I hope the nation we sacrificed our lives for will recognise us,” Mamu said.
The negotiator added that seven released victims have been handed over to the military and were now on their way to Kaduna.
He appreciated the Kaduna Division 1 GOC for the support he gave during the negotiation mission.
“The location they (abductors) gave is remote, sensitive and risky. There was a military checkpoint before penetrating the forest. My team was stopped by the soldiers but when they told the military our mission they contacted the GCO and he immediately gave approval for them to proceed. And after the victims were successfully evacuated, travelling through over 40 kilometers in the forest, they were given a military escort back to Kaduna at the checkpoint,” he explained. (Leadership)
