FG Considers Reopening Abuja-Kaduna Train Service after the release of the kidnapped 23 Train passengers
- Insists that no ransom was paid to the terrorists for the release of the passengers
The Federal Government is considering reopening the Abuja- Kaduna train Service with a plan to secure the route as soon as the services reopen.
The Minister of Transportation, Muazu Jaji Sambo, disclosed this to journalists while insisting no ransom was paid for the release of the kidnapped 23 Train passengers earlier abducted on the Abuja-Kaduna ill-fated train on March 28, 2022.
According to the Minister, “The released passengers have already been reunited with their families after proper medical examination, the target of the government was to get them out safely and no ransom was paid for any of them.” He said.
Speaking on the plans for the resumption of train services on the Abuja-Kaduna line, the Minister said, “We have long-term and short-term plans for securing the rail line and operations will resume soon.” Adding that the short-term process will be put in place within a period of three months for the train service on the Abuja-Kaduna rail line to resume, Sambo said.
It would be recalled that the victims of the ill-fated train from Abuja to Kaduna have been released in trenches, On July 9, the bandits released seven hostages; on July 25, three more Abuja-Kaduna train passengers were released, while In the month of August, specifically on August 2, the bandits released four more Kaduna-Abuja train victims; while on August 10, the bandits released seven more kidnapped train passengers.
The news broke on October 5, when Prof. Usman Yusuf, secretary of the Chief of Defense Staff Action Committee (CDSAC) announced the release of the remaining 23 passengers.
