Abuja-Kaduna train service must not resume – families of abducted passengers

The relatives and friends of 62 passengers captured on the Abuja-Kaduna train have warned that the train service must not resume unless all abducted passengers are rescued.

Terrorists had on March 28, 2022, planted explosives that derailed train AK-9 while on its last lap from Abuja to Kaduna, Northwest Nigeria. The terrorists had killed nine people and abducted over 60 before they later released the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture, Alwan Ali Hassan.  

The Nigeria Railway Corporation had hinted last week that repair on the rail track had been completed, even though it did not specifically state when the train service would resume. 

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However, in a press conference in Kaduna on Monday, relatives of the abducted passengers demanded the quick and safe rescue of their 

relatives being held hostage. 

They also stated that the Abuja-Kaduna train service must not resume until all the abducted passengers are rescued and adequate security measures are put in place to guarantee the safety of prospective passengers.

Speaking through their spokesperson, Dr Abdulfatai Jimoh, the families of the abducted passengers accused the NRC of disregarding President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive to engage with them, minute-by-minute.

President Buhari had directed the NRC to set up a situation room for the coordination of the rescue mission for the passengers and a minute-by-minute engagement with the families of the captives. 

“Still, one week after this presidential directive was issued, the NRC has never contacted the relatives of the kidnapped victims nor established any situation room. This display of gross incompetence and insensitivity should lead to appropriate punishment,” Jimoh said.