At least 68 persons are with the terrorist group that abducted travellers from the scene of the March 28 train attack.

It was reported that the armed gang bombed the rail track, forcing the train to derail after which they opened fire on passengers.

Before the arrival of security operatives, some of the passengers were killed while others were abducted.

In its update a week after the attack, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) had said it could not account for 146 passengers.

But the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), Mr Alwan Hassan, who was released by the gang last Wednesday provided the figures of the captives while recounting his ordeal.

Hassan provided details of the abductees and his own ordeal in the hands of the kidnappers in separate briefings to family members, the Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and relatives of other abductees.

Attempt to hear directly from him was, however, unsuccessful as he declined an immediate interview when reporters visited his home on Friday.

But a family member of one of the abducted persons said the BOA managing director told them that the victims were made to trek for five days, resting intermittently in transit camps, before they arrived at the main camp of the attackers around Shiroro Local Government Area in Niger State.

He was said to have identified many of the captives by name from the pictures presented by their families, saying however some of the abductees suffered gunshot wounds.

Hassan assured the visiting family members that all the captives were doing fine as all the wounded were treated by medics brought by the attackers. (Daily Trust)

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