By Aminu Kutama
Families of kidnapped victims of Abuja-Kaduna Train Attack on Monday stormed the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, preventing staff of the ministry from accessing their offices.
The protest is coming 24 hours after a new video emerged showing the terrorists flogging the victims who were kidnapped during an attack on March 28, 2022, where nine people also died.
Frustrated by the plight of their loved ones, the families on Monday morning stormed the Ministry of Transportation, the Ministry supervising the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), the operator of the train.
As of the time of filing this report, officials of the Ministry were not allowed entry into their offices by the placard carrying protesters.
Sahelian Times reports that the protest comes in the midst of widespread condemnations of the latest video and criticism of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Speaking with newsmen on Sunday, Hajiya Naja’atu Muhammad, an activist and politician, claimed that the terrorists are armed enough to make good of their threat to kidnap President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State. Naja’atu, added that with their successful attack on the Kuje Correctional Centre, the terrorists are emboldened enough to attack anyone in the country.
Aisha Abdullahi, a midwife, also tweeted her disappointment with the failure of both the federal and state governments to rescue the Kaduna train victims after many weeks; “Why is it so hard? @MBuhari i thought you promised you could do it? Thats why we fought for you to get elected. @elrufai please explain to us your efforts in lay man language because i don’t understand. @ProfOsinbajo is this what you wanted to continue with?”
A journalist, Ja’afar Ja’afar, questioned the sincerity of the federal government in dealing with the plight of the kidnap victims, asserting double standards on the part of the federal government; “Since government can’t secure or rescue citizens, it is logical to pay ransom to secure their release. Besides, this is not the first time govt would pay ransom. If a member of the first family was involved, all the Abuja-Kaduna train victims would have been released since.”
President Muhammadu Buhari had once again on Sunday, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to tackling the nation’s security challenges, saying he will leave no stone unturned in crushing bandits and terrorists wreaking havoc in several parts of the country.
The President in a statement by his spokesman, Garba Shehu, said the service chiefs have been kept on their toes to ensure that banditry and terrorism are decisively addressed.
