It has now been three years since the horrific attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train. The brutal assault occurred on March 28, 2022, at about 7:45 pm, leaving a trail of death, trauma, and unanswered questions.
The remembrance of the Abuja-Kaduna train attack still stands as a grim reminder of Nigeria’s worsening insecurity crisis and the gullible method of handling insecurity by the Nigerian government.
Three years ago, a train carrying 362 passengers was attacked by deadly terrorists. The terrorist, emerging from the Kateri-Rijana forest in Kaduna State, detonated explosives that derailed the train before opening fire on passengers.
Amid the chaos, at least eight people were killed, and 186 passengers managed to escape unharmed. However, 62 hostages were taken deep into the forest, where they endured months of unimaginable hardship. The last batch of hostages was released on October 5, 2022, after spending 190 harrowing days in captivity. Reports suggest that many families had to pay ransom to secure the release of their loved ones.
Among the victims were individuals whose promising futures were cut short. Dr. Chinelo Megafu, a young dental surgeon, was tragically killed during the attack. Others who lost their lives include Abdu Isa Kofar Mata, Director of the National Board of Technical Education; Farida Sule Mohammed, daughter of PRP chieftain Mallam Sule Mohammed; Musa-Lawal Ozigi, Secretary-General of the Trade Union Congress; and Akin Akinsola, Chairman of the TUC’s Kwara State chapter.
Till date, the Nigerian government has not apprehended the perpetrators. Or have the terrorists been forgiven and assimilated into the society by the Nigerian government?. This is a question for another day. However, as the nation marks the third anniversary of this tragedy, the victim’s families and Nigeria as a whole continue to wait—not only for justice but also for concrete action to prevent similar horrors in the future.
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