Abuja/Kaduna train negotiator formally announces his withdrawal

The lead negotiator between the terrorists and the Federal Government, Tukur Mamu, has formally announced his withdrawal from further interfacing between the two parties, blaming the Federal Government for his action.

In a statement, he released on Wednesday, he noted that the recent attack on Kuje prison had vindicated his earlier advice to the authorities.

According to him, he shared some intelligence reports with both the government and the security agencies before the Kuje prison attack but nothing was done.

Mamu, who is also the spokesman of Sheikh Gummi remarked that the renewed threats by the terrorists were a result of the failure of the Federal Government to meet up with their demands.

“As a result of my engagement they gave us an opportunity to respond to their demands, but we failed to do so on four different occasions which resulted in the recent threat,” he said.

He noted that, “it was after the failure of the fourth opportunity that they angrily issued the fresh threat to start slaughtering their victims yesterday, Tuesday. After much pleading with them, I tolerated abuses and begged them to allow individual family members to contact them directly.”

He said, “They gave today, Wednesday, 6th July, that if there is nothing definite from family members they will start executing their threat.

“I immediately passed this disturbing intelligence to all the relevant security agencies, the National Assembly leadership and other stakeholders. But sadly as of today, Wednesday, which is the deadline they gave, there is no word from anybody.

“I have nevertheless sent words to them to reconsider their threat and allow family members to reach out to them,” he added.

Mamu, who is also the publisher of the Desert Herald, noted that he had shared intelligence reports with security and the committee set up by Chief of Defence Staff, Lt Gen Lucky Irabor on threats to attack targets and other facilities of interest like the Kuje Correctional Centre.

“I have shared that intelligence with the security agencies and the committee that was constituted by CDS Gen. Lucky Irabor. I can confirm without doubt that the Kuje Correctional Centre attack was executed and coordinated by the same group that attacked the Abuja-Kaduna bound train, because they gave indications of imminent attacks to that effect, which I shared,” he added.

According to him, the terrorist group requested the release of 51 of its members, but stressed that “through the power of dialogue and engagement I was able to singlehandedly scale that number to only 10 and communicate with audio backing the development to the relevant authorities.”

He lamented there was an unnecessary delay in giving them even precise feedback by the government, saying, “Now they have not only succeeded in carrying out another successful attack that indicts the nature of our intelligence and capacity to respond promptly but has also succeeded in releasing dozens of their members which would have been averted if action has been taken to give them only 10 and secure the release of the train victims.”

He also posited that, “In all this risky, painful and frustrating engagement which government is yet to acknowledge and appreciate, I have more than 100 documented audios that I shared with the relevant authorities. For the purpose of this important press release and to authenticate my claims, I will also share four of the latest audios.

“After our successful mission that led to the release of the 11 victims, I have made up my mind to disengage completely from this voluntary service to a nation that doesn’t appreciate sacrifices for the above reasons and many more. But I was instructed on humanitarian grounds by my principal, Sheikh Dr Ahmad Abubakar Mahmud Gumi to exercise patience and continue,” he explained.

However, he averred that “with the current sad development at the highest official level of government, I am formally announcing my withdrawal completely from this service and to announce to the world that my life is also being threatened. It should also be on record that if anything happens to me, certainly it is not the terrorists but within the corrupt society we are in.” (Nigerian Tribune)