Beyond The Release Of Kaduna Train Attack Victims

Recently, the Nigerian military secured the release of the 23 remaining passengers held hostage by terrorists that attacked a Kaduna bound train on March 28, 2022. They regained their freedom after spending six months in the kidnappers’ den where some of the abductees were killed, with huge sums paid as ransom by some families to secure the release of their loved ones.

The Secretary, Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) Action Committee, Prof. Usman Yusuf, in a statement noted, “The nation owes a debt of gratitude to the Nigerian Military under the leadership of the CDS who conceived and guided the operation from start to finish. All sister security agencies and the federal ministry of Transportation contributed immensely to this operation.

“The unwavering support of the President and Commander in Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR is what made it all possible,” Yusuf added.

While congratulating the families and friends for the safe return of their loved ones, the authorities, in the considered opinion of this newspaper, owes Nigerians some explanations as to what happens to those who masterminded this atrocious act on Nigerians and the nation as a whole.

For a government that feasted on the failure of the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to confront the hydra-headed security challenges that bedeviled the nation, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has not quite improved on the perceived poor record of the party they ousted from power in 2015. If anything, insecurity and efforts to combat it, became an industry under the present dispensation.

It is trite to restate, in our view, the fact that this government assumed power on the promise of addressing the raging insecurity, combating corruption and retooling the nation’s ailing economy.

Almost eight years after, the results have shown that, despite coming on board with high expectations, the government has low returns in terms of performance. Not for want of trying though. Even with its best efforts, the economy, like many others around the world, is in a terrible state, insecurity has made life for most Nigerians a nightmare just as corruption still thrives with reckless abandon.

The President has, severally, assured Nigerians that he will leave the country better than he met it. We believe him as we also expect the concrete steps promised to bring this about. However, and regardless of these assurances, there are apprehensions that this administration that will come to an end in less than nine months from now will, at the end of its tenure, leave Nigerians with record level unemployment rate, high inflation, more people under poverty than ever and huge debt burden.

As at the last count, the nation has a 33.3 per cent unemployment rate, 20.52 per cent inflation, 95.1m people in poverty bracket, a debt size of N41.6 trillion and a queer dollar to naira exchange rate. Nothing fuels these appalling statistics like the raging insecurity.

While Nigerians wait expectantly for the December deadline to end the current security malaise as promised by the government, it is pertinent to urge the government to fish out and prosecute all those whose actions have contributed to the current deplorable state of security in the nation. Indeed, that includes of course, the terrorists and bandits who have continued to make life unbearable for Nigerians.

As for the Kaduna train attack, we are worried that it appears that, despite inflicting serious damages on the Nigerian economy after killing scores and stopping the Abuja-Kaduna train from operation for six months and still counting, there seems to be no retribution for these marauders.

Six days after the military announced the release of the last batch of abductees, there has been no arrest made even as nobody has been declared wanted. In other climes, the government and in specific terms, the security operatives, would have declared some people wanted with a serious manhunt ongoing.

As a newspaper, we find it discomforting that the military failed to use force on the terrorists that abducted Kaduna train passengers and subjected both the abductees and their families to long period of anguish and trauma.

The terrorists killed Dr Chinelo Megafu and other abductees including the secretary general of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Barrister Musa Lawal. They reportedly collected billions as ransom from families and friends of some abductees.

Like most Nigerians, we are tempted to assume that the terrorists behind the Kaduna train attack may well be planning another since the government has failed, in our considered opinion, to ruthlessly deal with them. Beyond the release of the remaining victims, therefore, the government must go after these terrorists and ensure that justice is served, as their atrocity cannot be forgotten or forgiven. Nothing fuels crime like the knowledge by criminals that they can get away with it.