Senator Shehu Sani has declared his interest to join the planned protest by family members of the kidnapped victims of the Kaduna-Abuja train attack over the failure of the government to secure their release after over 95 days in the hands of the terrorists.
Recall that the planned protest was announced recently by the families of the remaining abducted 50 passengers in order to force the Federal Government to hasten action to secure their release.
Sani, who is also the President of the Civil Rights Congress (CRC) promised to be physically present during the protest to lend his voice by calling on the government to act now and not later for the sake of the lives of victims, who according to him, are going through untold hardships in the forest.
Speaking during a private meeting with the family members of the victims in Kaduna during the weekend, the former lawmaker said, “As long as they remain hostage in hands of terrorists, the people of North-western Nigeria and the whole country will never be free and comfortable”.
“You can imagine how an 85-year mother living in a forest, in a rainy season like this, having to contain to live with wild animals and serpents in the forest. Our comfort and safety are tied to the freedom of these hostages”
“It is only unimaginable that a nation with a population of over 211 million people, with such enormous investment in security and defence, but is so impossible to get the hostages out.
“Their lives are our lives, their situation reflects the situation in the country. If they can’t sleep, we can’t sleep.
“Now for three months, we have all been put under tension, all because of the situation of these abducted mothers, sisters, brothers and children.”
He, however, commended the efforts of the negotiators and urged them never to relent until all abducted are released.
“What is very clear to each and every one of us is that the life of each and every hostage is more important than any price we are going to pay to get them out. There is no price that is too much to get these hostages out of captivity
“The terrorists have made their demands and I believe it is not too much for the federal government to do all that is needed to get these hostages out of captivity,” he stated.
In his response, the chairman of the abducted family forum, Dr Abdulfatai Jimoh noted that since some of the victims were released about three weeks ago, the information gathered revealed the remaining abducted passengers are being subjected to terrible conditions.
According to him, they sleep under the sun and under the rain and are exposed to environmental as well as health hazards.
“We have done all we could humanly possible to secure their release and now we have resolved to embark on a physical protest to force Federal Government to act immediately and get our mothers, sisters, brothers and children out of the forest.”