Revealed: N2.5b ransom and the secret Govt deals with Abuja-Kaduna train bandits

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The cessation of abduction incidents and other violence perpetrated by terrorist groups on the Abuja-Kaduna highway arose from deals and other efforts of a security panel raised by the immediate-past Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, General Leo Irabor.

Recall that armed bandits and Boko Haram had for some years turned the highway into their ‘horror den’, where they kidnapped several road passengers for ransom, with the attack on a Kaduna-Abuja train on March 28, 2022, eliciting global condemnation.

But after the attack and rescue of the last set of train passengers (held captive for almost six months) in October last year, PRNigeria gathered that there has been a lull in terror attacks hitherto launched by bandits and terrorists on the Kaduna-Abuja expressway.

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A top military officer who confirmed PRNigeria’s findings on the prevailing secured state of the Kaduna-Abuja highway also faulted the claim by Asari Dokubo that military troops are no longer mounting surveillance and vigilance on the highway corridor, but local vigilantes.

“Before securing the release of 23 remaining Kaduna train passengers, we signed a three-month renewable agreement with terrorists on cessation of hostility on Abuja- Kaduna Airways,” he said.

The military officer who also worked with the intelligence corps, explained that the terrorists who have been operating on the Kaduna-Abuja expressway have different ideologies from Boko Haram and ISWAP, even though they share some common identities.

The officer disclosed that the March 28, 2022 attack and abduction of some train passengers in Kaduna was retaliatory and demanded the release of some of their family members in military custody.

“Immediately after the train, some concerned retired security officers facilitated the first initial release of victims without paying a ransom.

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“Meanwhile, some vested interests encouraged the terrorists to demand ransom from affected families and the government.

The government didn’t pay any ransom but released some family members including women and children of terrorists from security custody.

“Over N2.5bn was paid by well-wishers and families of the victims to terrorists. With the signed renewable agreement, the terrorists stopped their attacks, prevent others from doing so and also provide information on the activities of other bad groups in that axis.

“There is no vigilante or security volunteer group manning any post on the Kaduna-Abuja Express against the claim of Asari Dokubo. While soldiers are stationed at strategic places within a short distance on the expressway, policemen regularly carry out mobile security patrols along the highway,” he said.

PRNigeria gathered that academics, community leaders, as well as serving and retired security operatives served in the CDS Panel. They have so far signed at least three renewable agreements for cessation of hostility in the axis based on conditions for peace and development.

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sanya-onayoade

Sanya Onayoade

Continental Editor, North America

SANYA ONAYOADE is a graduate of Mass Communication and a Master of Communication Arts degree holder from the University of Ibadan. He has attended local and international courses on Media, Branding, Public Relations and Corporate Governance in many institutions including the University of Pittsburgh; Reuters Foundation of Rhodes University, South Africa and Lagos Business School. He has worked in many newspaper houses including The Guardian and The Punch. He was the pioneer Corporate Affairs Manager of Odua Telecoms Ltd, and later Head of Business Development and Marketing of Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO Plc).

He has led business teams to several countries in the US, Asia and Europe; and was part of an Aviation investment drive in West Africa. He has also driven media and brand consultancy for a few organizations such as the British Council, Industrial Training Fund, PKF Audit/Accounting Firm and Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme. He is a Fellow of Freedom House, Washington DC, and also Fellow of Institute of Brand Management of Nigeria. Sanya is a member of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) and Project Management Institute (PMI). He is a 1998 Commonwealth Media Awards winner and the Author of A Decade Of Democracy.
Morak Babajide-Alabi

Morak Babajide-Alabi

Continental Editor, Europe

Morak Babajide-Alabi is a graduate of Mass Communication with a Master of Arts Degree in Journalism from Napier University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. He is an experienced Social Media practitioner with a strong passion for connecting with customers of brands.

Morak works as part of a team currently building an e-commerce project for the Volkswagen Group UK. Before this, he worked on the social media accounts of SKODA, Audi, SEAT, CUPRA, Volkswagen Passenger Cars, and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. In this job, he brought his vast experience in journalism, marketing, and search engine optimisation to play to make sure the brands are well represented on social media. He monitored the performance of marketing campaigns and data analysis of all volumes of social media interaction for the brands.

In his private capacity, Morak is the Chief Operating Officer of Syllable Media Limited, an England-based marketing agency with head office in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The agency handles briefs such as creative writing, ghostwriting, website designs, and print and broadcast productions, with an emphasis on search engine optimisation. Syllable Media analyses, reviews, and works alongside clients to maximise returns on their businesses.

Morak is a writer, blogger, journalist, and social media “enthusiast”. He has several publications and projects to his credit with over 20 years of experience writing and editing for print and online media in Nigeria and the United Kingdom.

Morak is a dependable team player who succeeds in a high-pressure environment. He started his professional career with the flagship of Nigerian journalism – The Guardian Newspapers in 1992 where he honed his writing and editing skills before joining TELL Magazine. He has edited, reported for, and produced newspapers and magazines in Nigeria and the United Kingdom. Morak is involved in the development of information management tools for the healthcare sector in Africa. He is on the board of DeMiTAG HealthConcepts Limited, a company with branches in London, Lagos, and Abuja, to make healthcare information available at the fingertips of professionals. DeMiTAG HealthConcepts Limited achieved this by collaborating with notable informatics companies. It had partnered in the past with Avia Informatics Plc and i2i TeleSolutions Pvt.

Out of work, Morak loves walking and also volunteers on the board of a few UK Charity Organisations. He can be reached via http://www.syllablemedia.com
Ademola-Akinbola

Ademola Akinbola

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

Brief Profile of Ademola Akinbola

Ademola AKINBOLA is an author, publisher, trainer, digital marketing strategist, and a brand development specialist with nearly three decades of experience in the areas of branding, communication, corporate reputation management, business development, organizational change management, and digital marketing.

He is the Founder and Head Steward at BrandStewards Limited, a brand and reputation management consultancy. He is also the Publisher of The Podium International Magazine, Ile-Oluji Times, and Who’s Who in Ile-Oluji.

He had a successful media practice at The Guardian, Punch and This Day.

He started his brand management career at Owena Bank as Media Relations Manager before joining Prudent Bank (now Polaris Bank) as the pioneer Head of Corporate Affairs.

The British Council appointed him as Head of Communication and Marketing to co-ordinate branding and reputation management activities at its Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt offices.

In 2007, he was recruited as the Head of Corporate Planning and Strategy for the Nigerian Aviation Handling company. He led on the branding, strategic planning and stakeholder management support function.

His job was later expanded and redesigned as Head of Corporate Communication and Business Development with the mandate to continue to execute the Board’s vision in the areas of Corporate Planning and Strategy, Branding and New Businesses.

In 2010, he voluntarily resigned from nacho aviance to focus on managing BrandStewards, a reputation and brand management firm he established in 2003. BrandStewards has successfully executed branding, re-branding and marketing communication projects for clients in the private and public sectors.

Ademola obtained a M.Sc. Degree in Digital Marketing & Web Analytics from Dublin Institute of Technology in 2016, and the Master of Communication Arts degree of the University of Ibadan in 1997. He had previously obtained a Higher National Diploma (with Upper Credit) in Mass Communication from Ogun State Polytechnic, Abeokuta.

He has published several articles and authored five management books.

He has benefitted from several domestic and international training programmes on Brand Management, Corporate Communications, Change Management and Organizational Strategy.
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