The bandits had two weeks ago released 11 out of the 61 victims of the abducted train passengers after almost three months in their custody, remaining 50 hostages still in the den of their captive.
Malam Tukur Mamu, one of the negotiators and Media Consultants to a controversial Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, who disclosed this, said that based on credible information made available to him, the incident took place on Monday.
According to Mamu, the incident occurred during “friendly exchanges of fire at the forest between the abductors that are guarding the victims and preventing them from possible escape.”
Although he said the victim was critically wounded but still alive and needed medical attention.
Mamu, in the latest edition of the Kaduna-based newspaper, Desert Herald, sighted by one of our correspondents on Wednesday, stated that the shooting of one of the hostages could be intentional just for the “purpose of sending a message”.
He added that he pleaded with the terrorists to release the shot victim for access to medication but that they “vehemently refused”.
“I pleaded with the abductors on Tuesday to free the victim that was shot whom they said is in a critical condition to allow the government to treat his emergency case but they vehemently refused, insisting that they will not entertain any demand except government attend to theirs too,” Mamu added.
He maintained that the Federal Government must be prepared to take full responsibility for the failure to act fast in efforts to rescue the remaining 50 hostages before more harm befell them.
He also expressed concern that there had been constant communication but the government had yet to take a decision, adding that the government must take “painful decisions to secure the innocent victims alive.”
“The incidence according to credible information was said to have happened on Monday during ‘friendly exchanges of fire’ at the forest between the abductors that are guarding the victims and preventing them from possible escape,” Mamu said.
“The incident that resulted in the shooting could also be intentional from them (terrorists) for the purpose of sending a message. Killing 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 the 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 don’t require unnecessary bureaucracy. I can confirm to you that the said passenger has been shot.”
Mamu had earlier announced his withdrawal from the negotiating team, but the families of the victims had prevailed on him, and his principal (Gumi), to continue to be part of the negotiation.
This is just as he added that hunger and life-threatening illnesses loomed following the conditions with which the bandits were keeping the hostages.
While expressing concern over the deteriorating health condition of some of the hostages, he called on the government to hasten up steps to “secure their release as soon as possible”.
