Families and relations of abducted Abuja-Kaduna bound train have debunked reports in some section of the media that the kidnapped passengers have been released.
Recall that on the 28th March, 2022 at 6:10pm an AK9 train heading to Kaduna was bombed by bandits between Rijana and Rigasa forcing the train to come to a halt while the criminals sprayed bullets that killed and wounded several passengers and many were kidnaped to unknown destination.
Among the abducted passengers are children as young as three years old, pregnant women, an 85-year-old great grandmother, and others. Some of these victims have health challenges requiring daily medications and are yet to be reunited to their families.
But the media was awash yesterday (Wednesday) that the kidnapped victims have been released by their abductors.
Reacting to the development, families of the abducted victims in a statement on Thursday jointly signed by Dr. AbdulFatai Jimoh and Dr. Ba’aba Muhammad, Leaders of the Relatives of AK9 Abuja-Kaduna Train abducted passengers Forum, debunked the information. They said that the false information was released a mischievous journalist in the social media using NUJ tweeter handle. They said that nothing has happened concerning the release of the victims.
They said, “The news circulating in the Social Media on the purported release of AK9 Abuja-Kaduna Train abducted passengers is totally false and the general public should please disregard it”.
Following the plans by the Nigeria Railway Corporation to resume train services on the Abuja – Kaduna corridor, the group lamented that government have abandoned them to their fate and not doing enough to secure the release of the abductees just as they kicked against the resumption of train services.
“Government has the right to resume train services, we have no control over what they do but in all honesty, we feel completely abandoned to our fate.
“That is probably why they announced that they want to start train services while our loved ones are still in captivity and we are left to lick our wounds because there is no sympathy.
“We are just pleading with Nigerians to look at this issue as their issue because today is ours, tomorrow it could be somebody else.
“That is how any other person that has any issue, once something has happened, they will abandon you and leave you. It is very unfortunate” he lamented.