From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Families, relatives and friends of abducted passengers on the Abuja-Kaduna bound train, yesterday, staged a protest in Kaduna to demand the immediate release of 50 victims still held in captivity after 100 days.
As early as 7.30am the protesters stormed the Nagwamatse House located along the busy Ali Akilu road, Kaduna holding placards with different inscriptions begging Pesident Muhammadu Buhari to facilitate the speedy release of the 50 abductees.
At about 8.05am the protesters stormed major streets in the metropolis chanting: “Release our loved ones,” “We are begging President Buhari in the name of God to help us,” among other liberation slogans.
Addressing journalists after the protest, leader of the family forum, Dr. Abdulfatai Jimoh said: “Today is exactly 100 days since our loved ones were abducted, it was meant to be a journey of two hours, however, it turned out to be 100 harrowing days. Since then things have not been the same with us.
“One cannot imagine what our loved ones are going through in this last 100 days in the deep forest- the same clothes,no clean water to drink,no medical care, many of them sick, one shot and injured and we don’t know his condition now.”
Jimoh said the group has been talking to the government and appealing to them in the last 100 days to rescue the victims, but so far they haven’t seen much impact.
“It is really very disappointing, we are appealing again to the government to do all that is necessary to bring back our love ones in the shortest time possible. If you remember, our love ones spent their Easter in the bush, Eid Fitr in the bush, today we are just three days away from Eid Kabir and we are praying they will spend the Eid Kabir with us; tis is our hope and prayer .
“We want the government to do all that is necessary to free them…It is a responsible they owed us as Nigerian citizens, we should be free to move everywhere, we should be protected.”