BY Ahmad Sahabi
Relatives of passengers abducted during the Abuja-Kaduna train attack have again cautioned against the resumption of operations along the route until their loved ones have been rescued.
On March 28, a Kaduna-bound train was attacked by gunmen. Eight people were killed in the attack, over 20 were injured and several passengers abducted.
In a statement issued after a press conference in Abuja on Monday, the families said it has been 42 days since the incident — yet the victims remain in captivity.
The relatives, in the statement signed by Abdulfatai Jimoh and Ba’abba Muhammad, criticised the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) and Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation, over their handling of the incident.
“Today marks the 42nd day our loved ones have been held hostage,” the statement reads.
“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.
“Among the abducted passengers are children, some as young as 3 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 delivered her baby in the forest.
“Giving birth is supposed to be a moment of joy: how would it have been if this woman delivered 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?
“We have been given assurances that a positive outcome of these efforts would be apparent soon.
“We must, however, register our displeasure with the way and manner the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi has been handling this tragic event since it occurred.
“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.
“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.”
They also mandated the NRC to ensure that adequate security measures are put in place to guarantee the safety of prospective passengers.
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