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Families of kidnapped Abuja-Kaduna train passengers write FG, demand their release
Families and relatives of passengers kidnapped by terrorists who attacked an Abuja-Kaduna train on March 28, 2022, have written the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) asking for their release.
The relatives in the letter signed by Alhaji Aliyu Mahmood, Idayat Yusuf, Aminu Othma and Dr. Baabs Muhammed on behalf of the victims families was sent to the NSA, Major-General Mohammed Munguno (rtd), on April 25, 2022, expressed concern over inability of government to show solidarity with them.
“We the families of victims of the Nigerian Railway Corporation train attack AK9 departing from Abuja on 28th of March 2022 to Rigasa Kaduna have come together on behalf of the victims that are in captivity,” the letter read.
“We write to express our concern that there is no representation from government to communicate with us on the status of our loved ones.
“Even though we know the information may be of confidential nature, families need to be reassured and be carried along in a safe manner to ensure their release from captivity safely.
“We humbly request your facilitation to ensure that the Federal Government is in touch with the victims’ families.”
Meanwhile, the terrorists have released new sets of photographs of the kidnapped victims on Tuesday showing that the victims were alive.
Eight passengers were killed during the train attack, while a yet-to-be-confirmed number of persons were kidnapped.
In one of the pictures, the victims were women and kids seated on the floor while the second picture showed men, with half of them standing and the other half seated.
About 60 abducted persons including the elderly, women, children and a foreigner were seen separated into groups.
One of the photo showed 23 persons, including five children (two females and three males) and 18 women.
The terrorists used clothes to block the background on the photographs as the abductees sat on a tarpaulin.
The terrorists are asking for the release of their commanders, among others, in exchange for the victims.
A pregnant woman among those kidnapped, has also delivered her baby in captivity.
Recall that one of the victims who was released, former Managing Director of Bank of Agriculture, Alwan Al-Hassan had earlier told sympathisers and newsmen in Kaduna that they went through five days of trekking from the attack scene to a forest in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.
“He said they moved for five days before they arrived at the terrorists’ main camp somewhere in the forest around Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.
“He also told us that the terrorists had medical personnel and they brought them to the camp to treat victims who got injured either from the scene of the attack or during the journey to the terrorist camp.”
