The Ansaru terrorists that attacked and abducted passengers of the Abuja- Kaduna bound train on March 28 are responsible for the deadly Tuesday night Kuje Prison attack, The PUNCH reports.
Mallam Tukur Mamu, Media Consultant to controversial Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, stated this in Kaduna State on Wednesday.
Mamu in a statement on Wednesday said before the attack, he shared intelligence reports with authority concerns but they allegedly failed to act.
The statement was titled, ‘on fresh threat to start slaughtering victims of train attack and Kuje prison invasion: how I shared intelligence with authorities with no prompt action taken.’
Mamu, who is also the Publisher of a Kaduna-based Desert Herald newspaper, insisted that he shared intelligence with security agencies and a committee that was constituted by the nation’s Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor.
According to him, without doubt, the Kuje Correctional Centre attack was executed and coordinated by the same group that attacked the Abuja-Kaduna bound train.
He said, “and even on the tendency and threat to attack targets and other facilities of interest like the Kuje Correctional Centre attacks, I have shared that intelligence with the security agencies and the committee that was constituted by CDS Gen. Lucky Irabo.
“I can confirm without a doubt that the Kuje Correctional Centre attack was executed and coordinated by the same group that attacked the Abuja-Kaduna bound train because they gave indications of imminent attacks to that effect which I shared.”
Mamu added that the terror group requested the release of 51 of its members but the request was scaled to 10 through power of negotiations.
“For the records, they requested for the release of 51 of their members. But through the power of dialogue and engagement I was able to singlehandedly scale that number to only 10 and communicated with audio backing the development to the relevant authorities.
“There was an unnecessary delay on giving them even precise feedback by the government and now they have not only succeeded in carrying out another successful attack that indicts the nature of our intelligence and capacity to respond promptly but has also succeeded in releasing dozens of their members which would have been averted if the action has been taken to give them only 10 and secure the release of the train victims.
“In all this risky, painful and frustrating engagement which government is yet to acknowledge and appreciate, I have more than 100 documented audios that I shared with the relevant authorities. For the purpose of this important press release and to authenticate my claims, I will also share four of the latest audios.”
On the train hostages, he said after the successful mission that led to the release of 11 out of the 61 in captivity, he made up his mind to disengage from the negotiation in which the government never appreciated.
“I was instructed on humanitarian grounds by my principal, Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Abubakar Mahmud Gumi, to exercise patience and continue.”
He added, “This is probably the last I will ever dabble on the above subject matter because of the frustrations and failure of relevant official stakeholders to take prompt and painful decisions, in the interest of the citizens of a nation that have been consumed by insecurity and avoidable attacks.
“With all the billions in budgetary allocations on security, with instances of few becoming billionaires at the expense of innocent lives, we must accept the fact that the current system has collapsed.” (Punch)
