Exposed: How 101 Boko Haram Prisoners Were Exchanged For 23 Train Attack Victim

*** No such Deal With Boko Haram-Prof. Yusuf
By: Our Reporter
Money might not have been paid for the release of the remaining 23 Kaduna-Abuja train attack, but the Federal Government might have swapped some Boko Haram Prisoners from the Kirikiri Maximum and Medium Security Custodial centers as a bait.
Our findings reveal that, the Federal Government, through the Correctional Services agreed to release 101 out of 104 Boko Haram terrorists being detained in Lagos since 2019.
An anonymous custodial worker alerted on this development in a message obtained by National TRAIL, to the effect that, 101 Boko Haram elements were released in exchange for the 23 passengers of the March 28th attack between Kaduna and Abuja.
Our source claimed that the prisoners were released on Saturday October 8th, after the Controller of Custodial Services, Lagos State, Rabbi Freeman visited the maximum and medium custodial centers in Lagos.
Freeman was said to have earlier visited the terrorists on the instructions of the Federal Government, where he asked them to prepare to leave, as they have been pardoned under amnesty.
Our source, who is an officer of the Custodial Services, but does not want his name mentioned, confided in us that,:”at exactly 6am today 8th of October 2022, about 101 Boko Haram terrorists held in Kirikiri prison since 2009 were set free.In what the government called Amnesty. But my investigation revealed otherwise. It is actually a prisoner swap demanded by Boko Haram, in exchange for the remaining 23 Kaduna train passengers kidnapped by the sect on the 28th of March 2022.”. According to him, about 104 Boko Haram terrorists were arrested by the Yar’adua/Jonathan’s governments in 2009, and transferred to Lagos and that out of the 104 sent to Kirikiri prison, 3 died in jail, leaving 101 that were set free last Saturday.
While challenging our correspondent to verify the records, he further said, they were held up in both Kirikiri maximum and medium custodial centers and that , they have never been charged to court in Lagos since 2009 till date.
” On the 29th and the 30th of September to 3rd of October, the Controller of the Nigeria Correctional Services, Lagos Command, Controller B.R Freeman met with about 40 of those Boko Haram terrorists, locked up in Kirikiri medium prison. Where he told them that they should get ready to go. That the Federal Government has granted them amnesty, because of the upcoming 2023 electiond.That they should wait for further directives”, he said.
After the last meeting on the 3rd of October 2022, the remaining 23 Kaduna train passengers, kidnapped by Boko Haram were released on the 5th of October 2022, by the sect, to keep to their own terms of agreement. Controller Freeman came again to the prison on the 6th of Oct 2022, and just yesterday 7th of Oct, to finalise arrangements with the terrorists. They packed up their belongings, prepared themselves, and waited. At about 6am today, the cells were open, and they were all set fee”.
Several calls to Reverend Rabbi Freeman, the Comptroller of Custodial Services were not answered and our messages were not replied either.
Inquiries from the Controller in charge of Kirikiri Maximum Security Custodial center, Prince Mike Okorie did not also yeild results
But Professor Usman Yusuf, secretary to the Chief of Defence Staff Action Committee, has since denied any such negotiation.
While not denying the release of the 101 Boko Haram terrorists, he denied any links between the release of the 23 Train Attack Victims with the developments in the release of prisoners from Lagos.
Angry Yusuf who spoke on Arise News breakfast programme on Sunday dismissed the insinuation as arrant nonsense and a piece of mischief, describing the source of the information as a coward, who was not bold enough to sign the leakage.
The Professor poured encomiums on the Military and President Muhammadu Buhari for supporting the operations leading to the success in securing the release of the 23 Train attack Victims.
He said the operation leading to the release of the victims was a pure military operation and not a negotiation, so the issue of prisoner swap does not even arise.
He said if there was any prisoner swap, he was not part of it and does not know anything about it.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has not made any official statement on the release of prisoners under whatever guise, but Correctional Services officers told our correspondent that the development is true.
Controversies have continued to dog the circumstances leading to the release of 23 captives taken by Boko Haram terrorists from an Abuja bound train since March 28.