Train Attack: Families Seek 50 Other Victims Release

…say released victims still sick, mentally unstable

Families and friends of the kidnapped victims of the ill-fated Abuja-Kaduna AK-9 train attack, on Wednesday, begged the Federal Government to hasten efforts towards the release of the remaining 50 victims who had, so far, spent 77 days in the terrorists’ den.

They expressed concern over the condition of the remaining captives, noting that even the 11 released victims were still hospitalised, traumatised, and mentally unstable now.

Addressing newsmen in Kaduna, the chairman of the families of the victims, Dr. Abdulfatai Jimoh, thanked the government and other stakeholders for their effort in rescuing the 11.

Jimoh, whose wife was among the 11 released so far, added that some of the 50 remaining victims were still in captivity and sick, while others were mentally unstable.

He said, “Today, being the 77th day after the abduction of our loved ones in the AK-9 Abuja-Kaduna Train, we are here to express our appreciation to God Almighty and thank Mr. President, the Service Chiefs, and other Nigerians for the efforts at ensuring the release of 11 of our loved ones.

“We are also saying that we still have 50 of our loved ones in captivity and we are praying that very soon, they will also be released and reunited with us.

“Those that were released are still receiving treatment in the hospital, they had gone through a lot of trauma for 77 days, mental trauma, psychological trauma, and mental torture. They are mentally unstable. So, they are still recuperating. We hope very soon, they will come back to their normal selves.

“Some of those still in captivity are sick, according to the information available to us. So, we are appealing to the Federal Government to ensure they are rescued as soon as possible.

“Even those that are not physically sick are not in good mental status, so everyone in there needs to come out as soon as possible, every one more day they spend there is a day of trauma. We are hoping, praying, and appealing that all of them are rescued in the shortest possible time.”

Rakiya Othman, whose sister was among the released 11, said her brother was still among the 50 left in the terrorists’ den, adding that “my sister wept uncontrollably when she was asked by the terrorists to go, knowing that she was leaving her brother behind in the forest.”