Abuja-Kaduna Train Abduction: Sheik Gumi Negotiates Release of Abductees

By Adesina Soyooye

Sheikh Abubakar Gumi, the Medical Doctor-turned Islamic Scholar, has negotiated the release of the  victims of the tragic Abuja-Kaduna abduction.

About three months ago, Islamic Terrorists had planted explosives on the rail, close to Kaduna, blown up and derailed the train, killed eight of the passengers, and abducted dozens of them.

They had been releasing them one by one, or in pairs. But with 61 of them, including a family of six – father, mother, four kids,  a woman and her baby delivered in captivity, they stopped. They then gave the Government an ultimatum to meet their demands or, they would start a mass murder of the captives.

Their demands,  it is gathered, include the release of their children kept in an orphanage in Adamawa State, as well as the release of a number of their colleagues who are in the custody of the Government.

A few days after their ultimatum, they rescinded their threat of a mass murder of the captives. Nobody knew why they changed their minds.

But it has now been revealed that they may have done so on the intervention of Gumi who has a controversial relationship with bandits and terrorists.

He, and a couple of others who include retired Military Generals, have been negotiating the release of the remaining passengers still with the terrorists.

On Saturday, June 11, it paid off with the release of 11 out of the remaining 61. The released were made up of six females and five males. The males were released on health grounds.

The terrorists had, earlier, promised to release all the women, but they reneged and released only six of them.

The  negotuator, Alhaji Tukur Mamu, who is a media consultant to  Sheikh Gumi, confirms the 11 victims  were released on Saturday.

He also confirmed, according to  the Desert Herald  that: “Earlier commitment to release all the women in their custody, a total number of 11 victims were released on Saturday 11th June, 2022. They include six females and five males.”

Those released are:

Jessy John

Amina Ba’aba Mohammed (Gamba)

Rashida Yusuf Busari Hannah Ajewole

Amina Jibril, Najib Mohammed Daiharu

Gaius Gambo

Hassan Aliyu

Peace A. Boy

Danjuma Sa’idu

Mamu, who is also the Publisher of the Desert Herald said:

“We have succeeded in building confidence now (with the terrorists). We will do everything to sustain it in the interest of the innocent victims that are still in captivity.

“It’s a painful and frustrating process but it must be done if we are to secure the precious lives of the remaining victims.

“The good news is our collective efforts have succeeded in securing the release of 11 of the victims so far. With the continued support of the FG all the remaining victims will be released soon Insha Allah.

“President Buhari must be commended for understanding the gravity of the crisis and for giving directives to the security agencies. The CDS, Gen. Irabo has done excellently well under the circumstances. The Army and the DSS have played a crucial role. There is no military solution to this predicament.

“But behind the scene, Sheikh Gumi, by Allah’s will, made it possible. He was involved from the day I started. In fact, I accepted that role because of his directives to that effect. Even the final arrangement of how and the safest place to get the victims was arranged and coordinated by him.”

It is not known if the Government has fulfilled some of  the demands which led to the release of the (latest) eleven people, but those released have been flown to Abuja for medical attention.

The terrorists attacked the Kaduna bound Train which took off from Abuja on March 28, 2021.