FAMILIES of the Abuja-Kaduna train victims still in captivity have staged a peaceful protest in Kaduna, just as they called for the sack of the Minister of Transport, Mr Rotimi Amaechi.
The protest came 42 days after terrorists attacked the train, killed nine passengers and abducted 70 others.
Leaders of the forum of abducted passengers, Dr Abdulfatai Jimoh, and Dr Baaba Muhammad, also added that train services on the Abuja-Kaduna corridor should not resume until all the kidnapped passengers are safely rescued and safety of prospective passengers guaranteed.
The duo, who addressed newsmen in Kaduna on Monday, expressed disappointment in the minister of transportation, who they claimed had been busy with his presidential ambition, instead of running round to secure the release of the kidnapped train passengers.
The families equally called for punishment of officials of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) for failure to implement the presidential directive for opening of a situation room to give a minuteby-minute account of rescue efforts to relatives of kidnapped passengers.
The spokesmen said: “We are the families of abducted passengers of the NRC AK9 Abuja- Kaduna bound train attacked on March 28, 2022. ‘Today marks the 42nd day our loved ones have been 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.
“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.
According to Nigerian Tribune “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 were delivered of their babies in the forest. Giving birth is supposed to be a moment of joy; how would it have been if this woman had had her baby in the comfort of a maternity ward? 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.
“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 to these efforts would be apparent soon.
“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 establish 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.
“Our prayers are that; number one, quick and safe rescue of our family members held hostage. Number two, Abuja-Kaduna train service should not resume until the first prayer is met, and adequate security measures are put in place to guarantee the safety of prospective passengers. This position aligns with the prayers of the majority of Nigerians.”
