Gunmen who attacked a train in northwest Nigeria in March have freed 11 of their hostages in return for the release of their own children, security sources told AFP on Sunday. The attackers had issued a video in May threatening to kill the hostages if an agreement was not found. “Eleven of the passengers being held by the gunmen were released yesterday,” one source said. “They were swapped with eight children of the attackers who were taken in a previous (army) raid,” the source added. Gangs of bandits with no ideological or religious motives are known to kidnap for ransom in the northwest and central Nigeria.

Source: The Guardian June 12, 2022 16:10 UTC