Kaduna Train Attack: Insurgents flog abducted passengers, vow Buhari, El-Rufai’s abduction

Chris Uba

A fresh video at the weekend, released by terrorists who kidnapped passengers aboard the ill-fated Abuja -Kaduna train, has elicited sympathy from the public, when the remaining victims were shown crying and wailing due to severe flogging by the terrorists.

Terrorists who were responsible for the March 28 attack on a Kaduna-bound train were seen in the video whipping their victims and threatening to abduct President Muhammadu Buhari as well as Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El- Rufai.

At least eight people were killed, including a youth leader of the ruling APC, Amin Mahmoud, a medical doctor, Tibile Mosugu, Chinelo Megafu Chinelo, and the secretary-general, of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Barrister Musa Lawal-Ozigi,

In the eleven-minute video released by the insurgents, the male victims were separated from the women, after which they were flogged mercilessly with make-shift canes.

An elderly woman amongst the captives was shown crying and pleading to the authorities to come to their immediate rescue, saying they don’t know what they’ve done to deserve such inhuman treatment.

One of the captives, who appeared so weak and distressed, spoke in Hausa on behalf of other victims, alleging that the government was insensitive to their plight.

According to him,” I am one of those involved in the train mishap. That train belonged to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Government has the responsibility to rescue us, but has failed.”

The exhausted victims appealed to the international community such as the United Nations, African Union and Saudi Arabia to come to their aid since according to them, the Nigerian government has failed to rescue them from the hands of the terrorists.

A male captive stated that the terrorists had no intention of keeping them for more than a week if the demands of the kidnappers were not met by the Federal Government.

The terrorists were also seen threatening to kill the victims if the Federal Government failed to meet up with their demands. They also claimed that one of the escapees of the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Kuje, Abuja had rejoined them in the forest.

One of the terrorists declared that they were coming for President Buhari and Governor Nasir El-Rufai as they will be brought before them and suffer the same fate as their captives,

“We want your government officials to know that we will kill these people if you don’t meet our demand. One of the Kuje break escapees spoke that he is here in the forest with his brothers,” a member of the gang said.

“If you don’t adhere to our demands, we will kill the ones we need to kill and sell the remaining. By God’s grace, El-Rufai, Buhari, we will bring you here.”

“We know that the government is planning to rescue these people by force but we want you to know that every committee you set up, we are aware. You use guns and aircraft but we will conquer.”

The terrorists also said their act was the will of God and will not hesitate to make slaves of the captives just as was done to the Chibok school girls who were abducted in 2014.

“We’re doing the will of God and this is small compared to what you will see if you don’t grant our wish. El Rufai and Buhari will be brought here too and killed just like these ones.”

“This is our message to the government of Nigeria and just as you have seen these people here, by God’s grace, you will see your leaders; your senators and governors will come before us.’

“These ones you are seeing here, we will keep some as our slaves and sell them off just as our Imam told you in the past,” he said. Just like the Chibok girls that were sold off, we will equally sell these ones as slaves.” one of the terrorists added.

It will be recalled that the event took place two days after a bandit raid at Kaduna Airport, left two personnel from the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) dead and several other workers kidnapped.

The terror group has released videos and images calling on the Federal Government to negotiate with them or asking the victims to negotiate for their lives.

However, this is will not be the first for the terrorists.

In a video released in April, the terrorists were seen putting on military camouflage and uniforms.

They made their captives call on the government to come to their rescue. One of the victims is a young lady who identified herself as a student of Kaduna State University.

An unidentified captive said he was on his way to Kaduna for eye treatment.

“We’re the passengers from Abuja heading towards Kaduna and were abducted. We have sick ones, old and young; a mother and her children. Only God knows what we have been through here,” the victim pleaded.

“Please, we are pleading that the government meet their needs and rescue us.”

Also in the same month, a photograph released showed 62 victims in four groups, including children, aged women and men.

Amongst them was an 83-year-old woman who was said to be suffering from diabetes.