Bullet from terrorists’ gun still in my stomach — freed train hostage

Mukhtar Shuaibu, one of the kidnapped victims of the Abuja-Kaduna train attacked on March 28, has narrated how he was accidentally shot by the terrorists on their 85th day in the den.

Shuaibu, who is one of the five hostages freed on Tuesday, said the terrorists’ doctor invited to attend to him failed in his several attempt to extract the bullet from his abdomen.

He however said that, he would need a proper medical procedure having regained freedom to have the bullet removed from his body.

The victim, who spoke during their visit to Malam Tukur Mamu, who is believed to have played role in the negotiation leading to their release, said the doctor forced his finger and scissors into his abdomen through the bullet wound in an attempt to extract the bullet.

According to him, “I am one of the train passengers coming from Abuja to Kaduna that was attacked. We were in the terrorist’s captivity until the 85th day, on a Tuesday like this. I was sitting down, I just finished noon prayer, All of a sudden, I heard sound of gunshots, I suddenly discovered the bullet hit me. I just saw blood flowing down through my knickers. I stood up and people around me were shouting, you have been shot, you have been shot.

“Then, Doctor (Mustapha Imam PhD, one of the hostages) that was together with me asked me to lie down. Then they removed my clothes, yet I was still bleeding. So, they looked for a piece of clothes to cover the spot where I was shot. It is on my stomach, right above my navel.

“In short, they called their (terrorists’) Doctor. When he came, he came and immediately put on his hand gloves. He put his finger through the bullet holes into my stomach and started touching my intestines, looking for the bullet.

“He could not find the bullet. Later, he inserted scissors still looking for the bullet. I was shouting because it was paining me. Still, he could not find the bullet. Eventually, he just put bandage round my stomach. Up till this moment, the bullet has not been found in my body and it is not as if it came out of my body through the back.

“The past four months in the terrorists’ den was traumatic. There was no rest of mind, because we were sleeping and waking up with guns in sight,” he stated.

Shuaibu however said the remaining captives, including children and an aged woman, were in pitiable condition, urging the Federal Government to do everything within its power to get them rescued soonest.

According to him: “The people remaining in captivity are not in good condition, especially a woman who is close to 90 years of age and children who are in pitiable condition; in fact, we don’t want any of the remaining passengers to spend one more day in the jungle.

“The government should do whatever it can in its capacity to ensure the rest also come back home tomorrow (Wednesday),” he added.  (The Nation)