Six months of ‘pain’ for Kaduna train attack victims and family

By Mansur Abubakar

“For our family na six months of pain and frustration because my father bin dey sick before di incident and im situation worsen afta di train attack.”

Dat na how Sabiu Mohammed begin tori of how dia family dey cope six months afta dem kidnap im broda wey be NYSC member wey travel to do im documentation and bin dey return home to Kaduna state.

Na today, Wednesday 28 September 2022 mark six months since gunmen attack train wey just enta Kaduna from Abuja, killing nine pipo and kidnapping over a 100 passengers.

Na tori wey shock Nigeria at di time with many pipo especially on social media talking about wetin happun and di pipo wey die or dem kidnap.

Since di incident, over 70 pipo don regain dia freedom but worryingly 23 pipo wey suppose dey with dia family still dey with di kidnappers at dis time.

Sabiu tell BBC Pidgin say no single day for six months wey dia papa no call am two or three times to tok about im broda and way forward.

“Na me be di eldest child and our father no well so na me dey in charge of di issue since inception. Everyday we dey tok about wetin happun but unfortunately we no get di power to change wetin don happun.”

“On dat fateful day, my broda wey travel to Minna bin dey return home afta e go do im documentation for NYSC, dem bin post am to Adamawa but e come get redeployment to Minna.”

“E finish im documentation and e come travel to Kubwa enta train in order to avoid Kaduna-Abuja road wey get security wahala not knowing wetin go happun.”

Sabiu say di family no get money to pay for di ransom wey di kidnappers dey demand and na why di broda and 22 odas still dey captivity.

E also call on goment to live up to dia responsibility to put in more efforts to rescue di remaining pipo wey neva enjoy freedom.

I still dey pray for remaining pipo’

One of di lucky pipo wey regain im freedom couple of months back also tok about di timing adding say e dey pray for pipo wey remain with di kidnappers everyday.

“Dem always dey my mind because I know wetin dem dey go through, I dey always pray for dem and by di grace of God miracle go happun.”

“To dey for dat place for a day no be small tin tOk more of six months but God dey.”

Di man wey dey re-united with im family say e still dey get nightmares at night over wetin happun but hopefully with time, di trauma go leave am completely.

'Buhari dey do everitin possible to rescue di victims'

Meanwhile, Nigeria president Muhammadu Buhari over a month ago say dem dey do everytin possible to rescue di victims alive.

For statement wey im tok-tok pesin Garba Shehu release at di time, e add say goment go try dia best for di mata.

E bin also tok say Nigerian military get dia plans and no be sometin wey dem go release to di media but for di families, six months na long time to be without a loved one.

Background of di train attack and kidnap

On dat fateful Monday on March 28 2022, some suspected bandits attack one of di trains wey dey run between Abuja and Kaduna for northern Nigeria.

Di train don already enta Kaduna state but neva reach station wen di attack happun, some kilometres after Rijana town.

Some passengers describe di horror wey happun on dat evening inside train as dem dey travel from Abuja to Kaduna as bandits bomb parts of di train and also shoot some pipo.

Shehu Isa, one of di passengers tell BBC Pidgin say di train leave Abuja around 6:00pm and evritin bin dey go smoothly until dem reach Dutse-Kakau area wen dem hear loud bang and train begin shake.

“Me and di pesin wey siddon near me dey even gist, wen we hear di loud bang and train begin shake. Na so all of us quickly lie down for ground.

”Isa tok say e no too tay before dem start dey hear gunshots."I use my eye see some pipo wey get gun wounds, yesterday (Monday) na one of di greatest escape for my life.”

“We no dey follow road again because of insecurity but now di same insecurity dey take over railways. How poor man wan survive for Nigeria?”

Na so e ask wit so much pain for im voice. Isa tok say e go tay small before e travel again sake of di shock and trauma wey e go thru.