Abuja-Kaduna train attack: Three more passengers regain freedom from terrorists’ captivity

The three newly-released passengers were reportedly dropped off by the terrorists at a location inside the forest along the Kaduna-Abuja highway on Monday, July 25

So far, 22 victims regained their freedom, while another 40 people are still in captivity

The victims, who consist of two males and a female, secured their freedom around 11am on Monday, July 25.

The report stated further that they were picked up from the unknown location by their relatives.

It is however not clear if any money was paid to the terrorists to release their abducted victims.

The identities of those freed by the terrorists include; Mrs Gladys Brumen, Oluwatoyin Ojo, Hassan Lawan Usman and Pastor Ayodeji Oyewumi.

The development comes barely 24 hours after families of the passengers in the train attack stormed the Office of the Ministry of Transportation in Abuja demanding government’s action over the abduction, as they vowed to remain there until the victims are freed.

It is reported that the terrorists have opened a direct line of negotiations with families of their victims, in disregard to the Federal Government’s warnings against he move.

The Nigerian Army had earlier warned against ransom payments to the terrorists by families of the train passengers.

It was gathered that the ill-fated train which took off around 6pm on March 28, from the Idu train station at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja hit an explosive device about 30 minutes to Rigasa train station in Kaduna.

The terrorist had reportedly planted explosives believed to be Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) on the rail track around Katari, Kaduna state which caused the Kaduna-bound train to derail from track.

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) initially claimed that 22 passengers on the ill-fated Abuja-Kaduna shuttle train attacked by terrorists, Monday night of March 28, were abducted by the attackers, adding also that 8 people were killed during the attack while 26 others injured, with over 100 unaccounted for.

Those reported to be unaccounted for turned out to be part of the nearly 60 hostages held by the terrorists who attacked the train.

Minister of Information Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had stated in April that the Kaduna-bound train was attacked by a combined team of Boko Haram insurgents dislodged from the Northeast and bandits operating in Niger, Kaduna and Zamfara states, saying: “What is happening now is that there is a kind of an unholy handshake between bandits and Boko Haram insurgents.

“Preliminary report of what transpired at the Kaduna train attacks shows that there is a kind of collaboration between the bandits and Boko Haram terrorists dislodged from the Northeast.

“I can tell you very confidently that the Federal Government is on the top of this matter,” he added.

The minister assured that the military, in collaboration with other security agencies, had put in place measures to bring to an end the frequent attacks on innocent citizens.

Since the attack in March 2022, the terrorists have released a series of videos urging the Federal Government to meet their demands, which is said to the release of their commanders in detention, in addition to money.

The latest of the videos released this week showed captives being subjected to torture by their captors, which prompted families of the abducted passengers to laid siege to the head office of the Ministry of Transportation on Monday demanding the release of the train victims.

The new video released by the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) showed abductors flogging passengers abducted from aboard the Abuja-Kaduna train on Monday, March 28.

The video shows the terrorists ferociously flogging the abducted passengers while they scream for help.

One of the captives in the video, nominated to speak for the captives, identified as Barrister Hassan Usman, urged the Federal Government, had also appealed to the Federal Government to expedite action towards their release.

Barrister Hassan Usman was later freed, and was among the three released on Monday by the terrorists.

“We don’t know what offence we have committed to the government of this country. We were born in this country. We have been here for 120 days, yet the government has been unable to rescue us. What is our offence to this country? Some of us were to be released recently but security agents blocked the access and refused to let our relatives come for us,” the victim said.