A new video of victims of the 28 March train attack in Kaduna has been released by their captors.
In the video, the terrorists are seen manhandling some of the victims, flogging them with sticks while they pleaded for help.
One of the terrorists, apparently unhappy with the situation, asked two of his accomplices – Ali and Abdullahi – to stop manhandling the victims.
Thereafter, one of the abducted passengers appeared on camera, narrating how they were kidnapped and lamenting that the Nigerian government has failed to secure their release.
The unnamed captive pleaded with foreign governments – the United States, United Kingdom and France – to help secure their release. He said the gunmen have no intention of keeping them longer than necessary in the forest.
Also, a female captive cried and labelled the Nigerian government “wicked”.
In the process, one of the terrorists said the Nigerian government should be blamed for what is happening to the captives because they refused to do the needful.
“We know your plan (Nigerian government) is to rescue the captives with force. Know that this is little of what we can do to them (beating the captives) as we said earlier, if you (the government) did not reach our demand, this place will be a slaughterhouse”, the terrorist threatened.
The man, who appeared to be a leader of the gang, vowed that his group would kidnap top government officials, politicians and senators.
A group of terrorists detonated an Improvised Explosive Device on an inbound Kaduna – Abuja train. One of the passengers narrated exclusively to Breezy News how some of them survived.
The train with at least 362 passengers derailed and the terrorists gained access to it while shooting sporadically at the coaches.
Eight passengers were confirmed dead, while 26 got injured and no fewer than 62 were taken away and kidnapped. More than 180 others were reported safe by the NRC.
Although some of the train passengers kidnapped had been released – many after the payment of ransom – 43 of the captives, including the son of a former Military Governor of Kano state, Major General Idris Garba (rtd), his wife and children are still in captivity.
In June, President Muhammadu Buhari directed security agencies to explore every means possible to immediately secure the release of the kidnapped passengers.
A statement then by Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu read: “As the government continues to review the issue of the kidnapped railway passengers and making all efforts to trace and bring back the 51 or more still being held in custody, President Muhammadu Buhari has directed increased efforts – kinetic and non-kinetic to bring the case to a closure.
“Upon the President’s approval, the Government is continuing on the two-lane approach, kinetic and non-kinetic to secure the passengers’ safe release. The kidnappers made a demand for the release of their own children and upon the settlement of that issue, they let go eleven of the victims, even though more were expected. The setback notwithstanding, the government is not leaving any stone unturned in the efforts to bring all of the hostages back”.
The daring attack on the train, travelling from Abuja to Kaduna, in March is one of the many attacks by terrorists in Kaduna and other states in the North-west of the country.
Hundreds of people have been killed in such attacks and millions displaced.
