N100 Million Secured Release Of Abuja-Kaduna Train Attack Victim — Reports

Reports emanating from Kano say 100 million naira was paid in ransom to the terrorists who blew up the Abuja/Kaduna bound train to secure the release of one of the missing passengers, Alwan Hassan, the Managing Director, Bank of Agriculture.

In the video released by the terror group members on Wednesday, they insisted that they released Hassan because they “sympathise” with his situation.

"We are releasing this captive, Alwan Hassan, just because of the month of Ramadan and his plea because of his age.

"We are not interested in money but the government knows what we want and if they don’t act fast to secure the release of the other abductees, we would not have any regret for our action", one of the terrorists said in the video.

However, sources confirmed that 100 million naira was paid in ransom in Kaduna State to the terrorists.

Family sources when contacted said they do not want to comment on the issue and wondered how the public got wind of the ransom payment.

The terrorists, in the short clip, asked the government to do the needful for them to release other captives with them.

They said the government knows what they want and threatened to kill the other hostages should they not be listened to.

When the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture, Alwan Hassan, was directed to speak in the video before his release, he pleaded with the government to accede to the need of the terrorists so that other captives can be released.

"There are many captives with our abductors here and out of pity, they decided to release me and due to the month of Ramadan, I am appealing to the government to save the lives of others with them", Alwan Hassan said.

Alwan Hassan was among the train passengers abducted by the terrorists on March 28, following the bombing of the Abuja-Kaduna train.

His release was announced on Wednesday by some staff and his family.