By Chinelo Obogo, Sunday Ani and Chukwudi Nweje, Chinenye Anuforo, John Adams, Minna, Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja and Agaju Madugba, Katsina

Nigerians have expressed outrage over a video showing kidnapped passengers aboard the Abuja-Kaduna train being whipped by terrorists who abducted them.

In the viral video, the insurgents suspected to be members of  Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) also threatened to abduct President Muhammadu Buhari and Nasir el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna State.

On March 28 terrorists attacked a train going to Kaduna from Abuja, killed eight, injured many, and kidnapped over 60 persons. Eleven of 61 remaining victims were released following negotiation in June.

A video released in the early hours of yesterday showed the kidnapped passengers sitting on the floor in the bush, and surrounded by their captors, who brutalised them.

One of the captives spoke on behalf of the other victims, accusing government of being insensitive to their plight while an elderly woman among them was seen crying and pleading with the Federal Government to rescue them. One of the insurgents said the captives would be sold off as slaves if their demands are not met by the government.

Speaking in Hausa, he said the authorities must meet their demands or they will kill some of the captives.

“This is our message to the government of Nigeria and just as you have seen these people here, by God’s grace, you will see your leaders; your senators and governors will come before us. These ones you are seeing here, we will keep some as our slaves and sell them off just as our Imam told you in the past.

“Just like the Chibok girls that were sold off, we will equally sell these ones as slaves. If you don’t adhere to our demands, we will kill the ones we need to kill and sell the remaining.

“By God’s grace, el-Rufai, Buhari, we will bring them here.”

Meanwhle, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Middle Belt Forum (MBF), Ijaw Monitoring Group (IMG), Arewa Youths Consultative Forum (AYCF), Aka Ikenga and others have condemned the government for not acting promptly to rescue the abductees. On social media, more Nigerians have also expressed outrage.

National President of MBF, Bitrus Pogu, said military has the capacity to flush out the terrorists but that President Muhammadu Buhari who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces is not willing to end insecurity.

He accused the government of dishonesty in the fight against terrorism.

“Is the government honestly telling Nigerians that they don’t have intelligence on the location of these terrorists when Sheikh Gumi visits them at will? If the government knows their location and has allowed them to be killing Nigerians, then, government has failed. When former President Goodluck Jonathan was there, he brought mercenaries that almost wiped out the Boko Haram terrorists but he lost the election, otherwise the issue of terrorism would have been history in Nigeria by now.

“The president is not willing, he is playing games and I believe some of the statements he made during the period of Jonathan is what is playing out. If you check the internet, you will find statements like ‘You are killing our people’, ‘The fight against Boko Haram is a fight against the north’. If this was the attitude before he became president, certainly, he would treat them with kid gloves and this thing would never end,” Pogu said.

National Publicity Secretary of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Alex Ogbonnia, said what the terrorists did showed the level of deterioration of the current government.

“These are signals and effects of poor governance. They are not causes but effects of mis-governance. Nigerians are in quagmire and it is a pity,” he said.

Elder statesman, Tanko Yakassai, told Daily Sun that the level of insecurity did not come as a surprise because Buhari has not shown any capacity to tackle it.

“You have asked me years ago about insecurity and I told you that I don’t expect anything positive from Buhari and I remember saying that he has no capacity to tackle the problem and so far, nothing has happened to change my mind. In fact, it has now been confirmed from the experience that this country has been going through that he doesn’t have the capacity,” Yakassai said.

An aggrieved All Progressive Congress (APC) chieftain in Niger state, Mr. Jonathan Vatsa, also lambasted President Buhari, saying the APC government has failed Nigerians in all ramifications.

“No matter the so-called achievements, any government that failed to protect the lives and properties of the citizens has failed the people and should honorably apologise to the people because African leaders don’t resign from office.

“Do we still a government in the country? This is huge embarrassment not only to this government but the entire Nigerians home and in diaspora. There is no country in the world where a government will watch and deliberately refuse to protect the lives of It citizens like the current situation in Nigeria. It is unfortunate that this government that the Nigerian masses brought into power through their votes will create an impression in the minds of Nigerian that the Nigerian Army and other security agencies have no power to secure the release of this train victims and other kidnapped victims across the country. I think this a deliberate plan to enrich a particular ethnic tribe through proceeds of crime and criminality,” he alleged.

The former APC publicity secretary and commissioner for information, culture and tourism in Niger State, particularly accused the president for always issuing political directives to security agencies through their heads without any action, stressing that “these directives to security heads always ended in Aso Rock.”

President of the AYCF, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, agreed that the government has failed.

“One cannot imagine that after three months, those people will still be in captivity and the government is relaxing, campaigning and talking about 2023. It is so annoying that we no longer attach any value to human life. There should be a clarion call for all Nigerians to begin to get ready because we can’t continue like this. I believe we will continue to rub minds. Nigerians will have to speak out. This is a moment to chart a new course for this country because this cannot continue. The responsibility of any government is to provide safety for the citizens; anything short of that means there is no government. We can’t afford to continue like this because we are not in a Banana republic. This wasn’t the mandate given to the APC government; something must be done immediately to arrest the situation. We can’t continue like this,” he submitted.

Coordinator of IMG, Joseph Evah, described it as a sad development and tasked government to bring out money to rescue the remaining victims from the terrorists’ den.

“Now, some of the victims have been rescued. Why can’t the Federal Government pay money to rescue the remaining ones? Are they saying that those that have been set free after money was paid are more Nigerian than those still in captivity that are now being flogged?” he queried.

Former president of Aka Ikenga, Chief Goddy Uwazurike, equally agreed that indeed, President Buhari has failed in his primary responsibility under the constitution.

He noted that terrorism had persisted because the Federal Government and its security agencies have not brought the full weight of law on them.

“Remember, the primary responsibility of the government under the constitution is the security and welfare of the citizens. President Buhari has failed to guarantee that. Seven and half years ago when Buhari came to power, he made three promises – to fight insecurity, improve the economy and tackle corruption; he has not done that. So, indeed, he has failed,” he said

He also accused the Buhari-led administration of emboldening the terrorists by treating them with kid-gloves.

On social media, more Nigerians also expressed outrage with rights activist, Aisha Yesufu said: “Until we realise that terrorist attack to anyone anywhere is terrorist attack to everyone everywhere, we will continue to be victims to terrorists and uncaring governments.”

While Senator Shehu Sani said:  “There has never been any successful rescue operations for most mass kidnappings of students, farmers or passengers in Kaduna, other than ransom payments by families. That is why terrorists in this video called the committee set up by the government as ‘Tea drinking committee’.

“When terrorists post video clips of the torture of their victims, they are waging a psychological war to bring attention to their demands. We don’t have a thick forest in the North West to warrant four months of this ordeal. Time is of essence for the government to act now.”

Why we’re cautious in rescue efforts – Presidency

The Presidency, yesterday, assured that the military is not relenting in its efforts to rescue the remaining of the victims.

A statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the Presidency explained that if the military should go by the popular call for carpet bombing of the known locations, it will only  assuage the desire of an angry public for revenge, but pit the hostages in danger.

“Terrorist activity using propaganda and the use of violence to force governments to accept or submit to political demands is not new all over world.”

He assured that the country’s security and defence forces are not clueless or helpless. 

“They have their plans and ways of doing things which they will not display in the media.

The dilemmas in dealing with the specific case of train terrorists are manifold: punitive action like the popular call for carpet bombing of the known locations may assuage the desire of an angry public for revenge, but what about the hostages? They have committed no offence. All they did was to board a train.”

Shehu said the security forces were not relenting and were aware of their duties and what the nation expects of them.

“To help the nation against ongoing situation, the media must increase their support for the fight against the exploitation of the internet and social media for terrorist purposes. The Presidency, in the meantime wishes to reassure the public that the president has done all, and even more than what is expected of him as Commander-in-Chief by way of morale, material and equipment support to the military and expects nothing short of good results in the immediate.”

Terrorists hit Katsina’s safest route, kill 3, abduct others

Suspected bandits on yesterday afternoon struck on the Katsina-Jibia highway reportedly killing at least three persons and kidnapping several others.

The 45-kilometre road was hitherto described as the “safest” road in the entire Katsina State as virtually all other routes remain unsafe due to activities of bandits.

Eyewitness accounts said that the hoodlums attacked a state government-owned commercial coaster bus, with registration number KT 14D-58 KT at about 1. 30 pm, killing the driver on the spot and evacuated the passengers along with those in four other vehicles into the surrounding bush.

According to one of the sources, “the gunmen had operated at Farun Bala village where they rustled some animals before going to the highway.

“Some of the villagers had alerted security forces on check-points along the Katsina-Jibia road on the attack but non responded.”

Reports indicate that there are well over 20 security check-points on the short route as it links Niger Republic, with rampart smuggling activities.