One of the released abductees from the Abuja-Kaduna train attack, Maryam Abubakar, has lamented how her child fell ill and did not respond to treatment while in captivity.
Maryam and her husband, Idris Abubakar, were abducted alongside their four children during the attack on March 28, 2022.
Idris Abubakar, a staff of the National Assembly Service Commission, is the son of a former Military Administrator of Kano and Benue States.
The family of six, together with a 60-year-old woman, Aisha Hassan, were released on Wednesday following the intervention of controversial Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi.
In an interview with Arise TV, monitored by our correspondent, a tearful Maryam narrated how her child refused to respond to treatment and begged the Federal Government to secure the release of other abductees.
Speaking about the child, Maryam said, “She has not been responding to treatment from the medication they’ve given, but we thank God for mercy and grace.
“We just pray that the rest of the people we left would be released as soon as possible. So whatever the government or whoever it is that can support to get them out, we pray that they do to get them out as soon as possible.”
Although Tukur Mamu, Publisher of Kaduna-based Desert Herald and Media Consultant to a controversial Gumi, withdrew as one of the negotiators, he had earlier confirmed the release of the seven hostages to journalists in Kaduna.
According to a statement by Mamu, disturbed by the flogging of the hostages, Gumi for the first time in four months of the abduction saga, reached out to the terrorists with the message of Allah, “to consider the release of the poor children and their innocent parents.”
He said throughout their captivity in the hands of the terrorists, neither the National Assembly Commission nor the members of the National Assembly intervened for the commission staff and his family.
Mamu, however, noted that with the efforts of Sheikh Gumi and the support of a serving Senator from the North, the family of six regained their freedom.
