One of those abducted from an Abuja-Kaduna train service three years ago, Bala Muhammad, has narrated how he ran into one of the bandits in a mosque in Kaduna recently.
In an interview with Daily Trust, Muhammad, who spent 196 days in captivity before he was released upon payment of ransom, said he had just finished worshipping at a mosque in Barkin Ruwa metropolis in Kaduna when he turned around and came face to face with a familiar face.
He said he stretched out his hand for a handshake, and at that moment, the man froze and broke out in panic.
Bala said he remembered him immediately, but told him to relax.
The bandit identified himself as Abubakar and said he had repented and quit banditry for a legal job of ‘Achaba’ (commercial motorcyclist, better known as okada in southern parts of Nigeria).
Bala said he took Abubakar to a place where they talked for over an hour, during which he disclosed to him that a leader of the group called Baba Adamu had been killed by the Nigerian army.
Bala said he was happy about this because the man was one of the most wicked of the lot at the time.
Bala Abubakar was looking wretched, and he gave him some money in addition to paying for refuelling his okada before bidding him farewell.
He said, as a Muslim, he had forgiven Mohammed and his colleagues, but would not forgive the Federal Government for the incident because he learnt that there was an intelligence report that the attack would happen, but the government failed to act on it.
He also complained that he and his family did not get any support from the federal government throughout his ordeal and afterwards.
“We spent 196 days which was 7 months in captivity and after our release, the government did nothing to support us apart from the drip and anti malaria treatment given to us.”
“Many of us, me inclusive, battled with trauma and had to be going to Neo Psychiatric hospital for months seeking treatment without government support.”
He said none of the money gathered from people was given to his wife who was heavily pregnant at the time of his ordeal and was later delivered of a baby via Cesarean Section.
It would be recalled that the train Muhammad was travelling in was attacked in Katari, Kaduna, about 15 minutes before it arrived at its destination on March 28, 2022.
Many people were shot to death in the incident, while hundreds of passengers were kidnapped into the forest after the train had first been bombed to incapacitate it.
The train left Abuja’s Idu station at 6 pm and was scheduled to arrive at the Rigasa train station in Kaduna by 8 pm before the incident.
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