MORE than two months after the tragic attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train service that was attended with deaths, injuries and abductions, virtually all the abducted persons are still in their captors’ den. There have been so many videos posted by the terrorists showing the victims pleading for help. While the government says negotiations are ongoing, it is apparent that the families of the victims are not being kept abreast of developments in that regard. The families have, therefore, sent an SOS to the government to rescue their loved ones. This would appear rather strange because in the aftermath of the deadly attack and kidnapping, President Muhammadu Buhari had said: “I have directed security agencies to ensure quick and safe recovery of all victims of kidnapping. I urge the railway management to immediately set up a situation room for the coordination of the rescue mission and for a minute-by-minute engagement with families of the captives.” But as is customary with this administration, it is never lacking in issuing apposite directives to government officials and/institutions, but there is usually no official follow-up to ensure strict implementation of such directives. Or why would the families of the victims be publicly pleading with the government to rescue their loved ones if the latter was constantly engaging with them as promised?
In any case, what is of prime importance now is the swift rescue of the victims safely, unhurt and alive. And the government is urged to up its ante in this regard, even if it means making compromises where necessary to ensure that the terrorists release the captives. The government should realise that it is not at the driver’s seat or in a position to dictate the terms. And, of course, the negotiations cannot go on ad infinitum, or the terrorists will become apprehensive, thinking that the government has ulterior motives, and that could have dire consequences for the safety of the victims. Already, the terrorists have threatened to kill the victims twice, and issued ultimatums to the government to meet their demands. The traumatised families of the victims have even called on the government to involve the international community.
The government should heed this request if it will assist in the speedy rescue of the victims, and put paid to the families’ pain and anxiety. Terrorists everywhere are a special breed of outlaws; they do not respect any rule of engagement and could resort to killing their hostages with little or no provocation. It is, therefore, important to carefully factor this consideration into the handling of the negotiations which the government says are ongoing. The terrorists are reportedly demanding the release of their comrades in official custody in exchange for the recovery of the kidnapping victims. If indeed this is what the terrorists want, it is not an extraordinary demand that cannot be met. After all, it is expected that by now, relevant security agencies would have debriefed the felons. The criminals should be released to the terrorists in exchange for the innocent victims. Prisoner swap is not alien to conflict resolution in any jurisdiction. The lives of the innocent train commuters kidnapped by bandits are very precious and are worth much more than the perceived security trade-off which the release of terrorists from official custody represents.
The idea of government wanting to restart train routes even when people are still in captivity is in bad taste. That smacks of gross insensitivity and lack of empathy for the kidnap victims and their families, especially against the backdrop of the fact that the erstwhile supervising minister over the Nigerian railways had abandoned the resolution of the train service and its security conundrum to pursue his political interest. The government should prioritise the rescue of the victims and give their families regular updates in the interim. Security of lives and private as well as official assets is being gravely compromised in the country. Neither road, air nor rail travel is free from attacks by ubiquitous and prowling terrorists who are already set in their devilish ways. And it is becoming increasingly unsettling that the government has virtually yielded the monopoly of violence to non-state actors. That is a most depressing and unacceptable state of affairs.
Ultimately, the government has to tweak, retool and reset its security strategy in order to markedly improve its effectiveness in protecting life and property. In the immediate period, however, it should come up with appropriate schemes and deploy requisite resources to secure the release of the victims of the Abuja-Kaduna train attack. Sadly, the number of innocent citizens still languishing in the custody of violent non-state actors keeps mounting. It is imperative that official actions are taken to rein in the ugly trend.
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