Families Of Train Attack Accuse Nigerian Government Of Ignoring Them, Abandoning Their Loved Ones In Hands Of Bandits

Families of the kidnapped victims of the March 28 Abuja-Kaduna train attack have accused the Nigerian government of abandoning their loved ones in the hands of terrorists.
 
The distraught family members who could not hold back their emotions said no government agency or officials had reached out to them since the tragic incident.
 
The group accused Muhammadu Buhari’s government of abandoning the victims to their abductors.
 
Speaking on behalf of the families at a press conference on Thursday in Abuja, Aliyu Mahmood said every attempt to reach out to the abductors for further discussion and negotiation was not successful.
He said the terrorists made it clear in a viral video that they want to discuss with the Nigerian government.
He said, “We are here today as a group yearning for a solution to bring our family members back home in good health and utmost safety. We will like to bring this to the world stage that we were only contacted by the kidnappers once since the incident, and the call was an assurance call to inform us that our family members were with them, a mere proof of life, no health guarantees.
“No government agency reached out to us even though we have made attempts to see the right authorities.
“We are confused and most of the victims are in dire need of medical attention. For instance, there is a woman who is 7-month-old pregnant and is due for a cesarean section a few days from now. It’s been two weeks and that puts her lore in harm’s way. Her brother who was shot has an untreated bullet wound.
“They have with them a toddler and an 85-year-old aged woman who is diabetic and so many others.
 
“We don’t have a clue on what to do. Any additional loss of life results in unbearable sorrow for a family but not the government.
 
“We are the ones that will feel the pains of not seeing them again. We are the ones to bear the burden of knowing we could’ve saved them had we been given the opportunity to negotiate and get our loved ones out.
 
“We want to actively participate in ensuring their safety. Nothing is too small or too much to secure the lives of the victims.”
He said they have been living with trauma since the terrorist attack on the train.
The families, therefore, appealed to the government to come to their aid and ensure the safe return of their loved ones.
Eight persons were confirmed killed in the attack and more than 20 others were injured.