Kaduna Train Attack: Victims Families Issue 72-Hour Ultimatum To FG
Families of passengers who were abducted in the Abuja-Kaduna train attack have issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the Federal Government to secure their release.
They gave the ultimatum on Monday after a meeting, stating that if the government fails to do so they will take a decision on how to rescue their relatives on their own.
It’s been long weeks of torture and agonising moments for the families whose relatives were abducted when bandits attacked the Abuja-Kaduna-bound train weeks ago.
The attack which occurred on March 28 at Dutse forest in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State left eight people killed and 26 others injured while scores of passengers went missing – suspected to have been abducted by the bandits.
Two weeks after the victims went missing, their families are hopeful of freedom from captivity, although they have refused to rule out the option of negotiating with the bandits.
They have also held regular meetings with anticipated responses from the government but without such news coming yet, they turned to prayers to seek God’s intervention in their predicament.
There has also been no word from the abductors.
Dr Abdulfatai Jimoh, who chairs the group of the relatives of the abducted persons, wants the government to dialogue with the bandits as they have demanded in a recent viral video.
He said this was necessary and not out of place since the government seemed incapacitated to protect the people.
“The kidnappers said we should be ready that they would contact us, and we have not heard any communication from them since then,” Jimoh said. “Since this incident happened, we expected that by now, the government, the Nigerian Railway Corporation, and the Federal Ministry of Transportation, are supposed to have identified relatives of the victims to tell us what effort they are making or not to rescue our loved ones unhurt.”
“In fact, the primary duty of any government is to protect the lives and property of citizens. We believe our government can do it and it’s capable of doing it. Until a few days ago we had been expecting telephone calls from the abductors because that’s what they promised us but when we saw the video, they made it very clear that they want to discuss with the government; that they have something with the government.
“We don’t know what they want from the government. But it’s now an opportunity and a window for the government to rescue our loved ones by opening channel of communication with them (terrorists). This is not out of place. It is done anywhere in the world.”
