Lucky Irabor: 2022 Abuja–Kaduna train abduction was my most challenging moment as CDS

Lucky Irabor, former chief of defence staff (CDS), says the 2022 Abuja–Kaduna train terrorist attack was the most challenging episode of his tenure.

Speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, on Monday, Irabor said the attack put the nation’s security system under extreme pressure and demanded all of his military experience.

The retired army chief said the defence headquarters had to mobilise significant resources and strategies to secure the release of the passengers abducted during the attack.

“For me, during the time I was CDS, the security situation around the country was most troubling,” Irabor said.

“I think the most challenging was the incident involving the train abduction, which added to the dynamics of the challenges we were facing at the time.

“All the experiences one had prior to that time were deployed to ensure those who were abducted were rescued.”

The retired general also reflected on other key security concerns during his tenure, including counter-insurgency operations in the north-east and protection of oil infrastructure in the Niger Delta.

“Beyond that, the north-east operation was deep in my mind. Having served a greater part of my career there, I felt a need to return to ensure that operations were conducted effectively without losing our teams,” he said.

He emphasised the importance of safeguarding oil production, noting that it is crucial for the economic stability of the country.

Looking back on his life after retirement, Irabor said he now enjoys more freedom to pursue personal interests.

“It’s now relieving and freer to do what I want,” he said, adding that his experiences in service inspired his book, ‘Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum’.

On March 28, 2022, terrorists attacked an Abuja-bound Kaduna train and killed many passengers.

Several others were injured, while 61 persons were also abducted during the attack.

While all the abducted passengers were released at various intervals, some were freed after seven months.

The incident sparked widespread public outrage and renewed calls for stronger intelligence gathering and better railway security.

In 2024, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) said it arrested one Ibrahim Abdullahi, the suspected mastermind of the Abuja–Kaduna train attack of 2022.

Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the then police public relations officer (PPRO), said Abdullahi, also known as Mande, was arrested by the anti-kidnapping unit of the Kaduna state criminal investigation department (SCID) on January 12, 2024.

The ex-force spokesperson said Abdullahi confessed to being a leader of a kidnapping syndicate terrorising the Kaduna–Abuja highway.

Irabor served as Nigeria’s CDS from January 2021 to June 2023 under the late President Muhammadu Buhari.