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Mohammed Al’Amin
By Ibraheem Hamza Muhammad
Barely one week after Desert Herald Publisher, Mallam Tukur Mamu sent an alarm to the federal government about the poor and deteriorating health condition of most of the passengers that were kidnapped over three months ago on the AK9 Abuja-Kaduna bound train and revealed other associated threats affecting the victims like reported instances of snake attacks and bites with constant rainfall worsening most of their conditions, this paper can authoritatively reveal that one of the innocent hostages by name Mohammed Al’Amin has been shot by one of the guards guarding them.
The incidence according to credible information was said to have happen on Monday during a “friendly exchanges of fire at the forest between the abductors that are guarding the victims and preventing them from possible escape”. Even though the voluntary negotiator, Tukur Mamu who facilitated the release of the 11 of the victims with the support of other stakeholders in an exclusive interview with this reporter did not entirely believe with the abductors narrative of the friendly shooting that resulted to the unfortunate and avoidable mishap has confirmed that the victim though still alive is in a health crisis situation.
It would be recalled that prior to the engagement of the DH Publisher, the Ansaru terrorists organisation have threatened to stop feeding their victims and start executing them within a week.
It took painstaking engagement with the group and with the cooperation of the federal government for Mamu to pacify them to drop the idea.
In the opinion of Mallam Mamu and even though he said such an incidence that resulted in the shooting can happen, “it could also be intentional from them for the purpose of sending a message. Killing of their victims is something we know they can do. They have threatened to do that before. Government must be prepared to take full responsibility if they didn’t act fast. There has been communication constantly but government is yet to take a decision. I know what is in this crisis and that is why I keep emphasising that President Buhari must be prepared to take painful decisions, painful compromises if they are really committed to securing these innocent victims alive. With what we have succeeded in doing, the windows and opportunity we opened which there’s none hitherto, the government has the power to bring this to an end within three to four days. I assure them we can do it with their support and cooperation, and if it didn’t happen as long as government do the needful I will agree and accept to take full responsibility. Cases of emergency such as this doesn’t require unnecessary bureaucracy. I can confirm to you that the said passenger has been shot”.
Mamu said even though he initially decided to disengage from the negotiations for personal reasons, pleas from family members of the victims, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi including those in government at the highest official level made him to reconsider the decision in the interest of the innocent lives that were held hostage for over 3 months now.
Mamu said he pleaded with the abductors on Tuesday to free the victim that was shot whom they said is in a critical condition to allow government to treat his emergency case but they vehemently refused insisting that they will not entertain any demand except government attend to theirs too.
In the alternative, he further advised the government to deal with the abductors directly to see an end to the uncertainty as soon as possible.
The Publisher has also confirmed and lamented that the health condition of many of the hostages is bad and insisted that even if to assume there is no threat from the abductors most of them may hardly survived the condition if government did not take urgent steps to secure their release as soon as possible.
