By Dirisu Yakubu

It’s exactly 68 days since terrorists bombed a Kaduna bound AK-9 train, leaving in its wake a tale of agony as about nine persons lost their lives while over a hundred were abducted by the evil men.

More than two months after, the terrorists want the federal government to release their family members captured in the many raids on their hideouts as a condition to release the over 60 persons taken from the ill-fated train.

A week after the abduction, the terrorists released a video showing the captives in pitiable conditions, stressing that they did not want money but the release of their children. They later warned that if their condition was not meant, they would commence immediate execution of their unfortunate “guests.”

Since then, family members of the victims have held several press conferences urging the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to rise to the challenge of leadership and rescue the abductees unhurt; a plea that is yet to be heeded by concerned authorities.

Last month, representatives of the families of the abducted persons threatened to disrupt the planned resumption of train service on the Abuja-Kaduna route by the Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC, following the completion of works on the damaged portion of the rail corridor, unless their abductees were first rescued and made to reunite with their respective families.

Speaking exclusively to Sunday Vanguard, Hassan Muhammed whose relation is one of those in captivity said, “We are tired and we don’t even know what next to say or do. The kidnappers spoke to us once and since then, they haven’t contacted us. We are traumatized. It is so shameful that a government whose responsibility it is to protect its citizens is yet to get anything meaningful done.

“Everyday, we pray and hope that something good will happen. We stay alert all night in hope of some positive developments. We are alive only because we are still breathing. It is not easy to live a normal life when your loved ones are in captivity.”

According to Muhammed, officials of a federal ministry recently assured the grieving families of hope in the possible rescue of the victims, saying, “some government officials from the Federal Ministry of Defence reached out to us recently. They told us that everything was being done to rescue our loved ones but we haven’t seen anything that suggests a glimmer of hope.

“The silence of the Presidency is disturbing even though we trust in God to intervene,” he said.

Also speaking, Asmau Abubakar, spokesperson of the families reiterated the willingness of the families to negotiate with the terrorists only if the latter would be willing to open up a channel of communication.

Her words: “We are torn between the devil and the deep blue sea. If they (terrorists) are willing to talk, the families are willing to negotiate with them. Apart from the first time they called us, we have not heard from them. We have not been able to reach out to them with the number they used in calling us. It is so frustrating.

Lamenting the agony the families have been made to go through, Mrs. Abubakar urged the Buhari-led government not to forget that it is in its interest to negotiate the freedom of the abductees as the abductors “have nothing to lose.”

Following the failure of government to rescue the abductees so far, Mrs. Abubakar said the families are now considering reaching out to the international community for help in the rescue mission.

“We are trying everything to get the attention of the United Nations, Amnesty International and the various embassies to assist us in this trying times. We hope that the federal government will be willing to assist these bodies to rescue our people.

“Security in the land has collapsed because if there was security, there would be no need for negotiations,” she added.