Abuja – Families of abducted passengers of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) AK9 Abuja- Kaduna bound train have asked the Federal Government not to resume train services on the route until those held hostage are rescued.
At a press conference on Monday, Dr. Abdulfatai Jimoh and Dr. Ba’abba Muhammad, leaders of the relatives of the kidnapped passengers, said government should also put adequate security measures in place to guarantee the safety of prospective passengers.
More than 100 passengers were abducted after Abuja-Kaduna bound train was attacked on March 28, 2022, by bandits who blew up a section of the track.
During the ordeal at least eight passengers were killed. Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, had in a statement confirmed that train services will resume on the route on July 29.
The families bemoaned that “since this unfortunate attack on the Abuja-Kaduna bound train, we believe the president and commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, alongside his security and intelligence chiefs, have been working to rescue our loved ones.
We have been given assurances that a positive outcome of these efforts would be apparent soon.” According to them, after 42 days their loved ones are still held hostage.
“It has been 42 long days of living in fear, virtually no sleep, no bath, wearing the same clothes, under the scorching sun and rain, and exposed to extreme environmental hazards.
The emotional, psychological, mental, and physical torture arising from these conditions are only imaginable.
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“Among the abducted passengers are children, some as young as three years old, pregnant women, women including an 85-year-old great grandmother, and others.
Some of these victims have health challenges requiring daily medications, which they have had no access to in the last 42 harrowing days.
“We read in the news that one of the two pregnant women in captivity was delivered of her baby in the forest.
Giving birth is supposed to be a moment of joy; how would it have been if this woman was delivered of her baby in the comfort of a maternity ward? In whose hands? What is the place of birth of this baby, the forest? “While some families have their breadwinners in captivity, others have their wives, mothers, sisters, brothers, uncles, and aunts held down in the bush.
This hostage-taking has drastically disrupted the living conditions of affected families. Children are crying every day, with the only question in their mouths being: when are my Mummy and Daddy coming home? What a miserable state!!!” They said.
The families expressed displeasure with the way and manner the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has been handling the tragic event since it occurred.
According to them, “Just a few days after 28th March, Mr. Amaechi was seen running around the stadium in Port Harcourt where he declared his intention to become the next president of Nigeria.
“We had expected Mr. Amaechi to be running around as to how to get his abducted passengers rescued, and this is highly disappointing.
Mr. President also directed the management of NRC to establish a Situation Room to give a minute by minute account of rescue efforts to relatives of kidnapped passengers.
“Still, one week after this presidential directive was issued, NRC has neither contacted the relatives of kidnapped victims nor established any Situation Room as directed by the president.
This display of gross incompetence and insensitivity should lead to the appropriate punishment.
“Furthermore, we sought the intervention of the leadership of the National Assembly, which is the people’s court, but nothing has been forthcoming from them.
“We want to extend our profound gratitude to Nigerians, elder statesmen, traditional, religious, and community leaders, and the Nigerian media who have lent their strong voices to this struggle both in the open and behind the scene and their prayers for divine intervention. We still need this vital support until success is achieved.” While speaking with journalists, one of the spokespersons for the families, Hidayiat Yusuf, criticised NRC for planning resumption of operations on the Abuja-Kaduna train route.
“If there was security in place, our loved ones would not have been kidnapped.
“We are ready to negotiate with the terrorists if they are willing. If it is money they want, they should come forward and say so,” she noted.
