The Presidency has revealed how the Nigerian government supported a terrorist leaders in an attempt to negotiate for the freedom of those abducted during Abuja-Kaduna train attack..
In March, terrorists had abducted some passengers on board the Kaduna-Abuja train after the rail line was bombed.
Nigerians and families of the victims have continued to lament the abduction and the continuous detention of the abductees by the terrorists.
Several victims have, however, been released in recent times.
But President Muhammadu Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, explaining the roles of the Nigerian Government said it paid the medical bills for delivery of a pregnant terrorist’s wife.
Speaking on BBC Hausa service on Friday, Shehu said some children of the terrorists were released from detention while the pregnant wife of the terrorist leader was also airlifted to the hospital for delivery.
Lamenting that the terrorists reneged on their promise to release all the victims, Shehu said they later began to demand for money.
The spokesman said: “The terrorists’ leader demanded the release of his pregnant wife. The government took her to the hospital and she gave birth to twins.
“He was shown that his wife and children are healthy and they were handed over to his parents.
“During the night, the government sent a plane to pick them up. We expect that if they are given these, they will release all the people they are holding.
“But what happened next was that they said they needed money. So don’t say the government doesn’t have anything.”