Families of the passengers abducted in the Abuja-Kaduna train attack have protested against the government’s slow action in rescuing the victims.

During the protest which took place at Radio House in Abuja, the demonstrators urged the Federal Government to double its efforts in rescuing their loved ones, The Nation reported.

Aliyu Mahmud, one of the protesters, revealed that his relative, a woman with a seven-month pregnancy, and her husband were among those kidnapped.

Aminu Uthman, another protester, told journalists that his brother and his sister-in-law were among those abducted.

“My immediate younger brother and his wife are amongst the victims. It is a nightmare and the most difficult ten days I have had in my life. I cannot sleep or eat. A lot of things are going wrong,” Uthman said.

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Aminu said the abductors called the family once, gave the abducted persons a phone to talk to them, but refused to make a demand.

“We voted for this government because of insecurity. We had the trust that they would address insecurity. This protest is not for the family members alone; it is for Nigerians generally. This thing can happen to anybody,” he said.

Hajia Idayat Yusuf, who had two of her sisters abducted during the attack, stated that it is hellish for her to know that her siblings are in captivity. 

“Some of those abducted have underlying ailments such as ulcers, diabetes, hypertension and there is no medication. We are really concerned. In the last ten days, it has been hell, we cannot sleep, and we cannot eat. We are fasting but we are fasting abnormally,” she said.

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She begged the government to come to their rescue by aiding those who were kidnapped.

“We are sorry for those that have lost their lives. We sympathize with the families of those in the hospital but for those alive, at least, bring them back,” she said.

Alwan Ali-Hassan, the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), who was one of the kidnapped persons, was released on Wednesday after a ransom of N100m was paid.

Meanwhile, Gbemisola Saraki, Minister of State for Transportation, said security agencies were working hard to free the victims.

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“The Ministry of Transportation is working with security agencies. It will be premature for us to say too much before the outcome of the exercise. I assure you that it is a comprehensive exercise and we implore each and all of us to exercise patience pending the outcome,” she said.