Nigerian Govt Assures of Efforts to Free Kaduna Train Hostages

President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed to rescue 31 hostages taken in a train attack and return them "safe and unhurt", his office said, five months after their abduction.

Buhari added that he had never doubted the ability or confidence of those who have presented themselves to defend the country and the Kaduna train incident had reinforced the belief and faith of the nation in this special group of Nigerians.

On March 28, 2022, armed men blew up a train traveling between Abuja and Kaduna and opened fire, killing eight people, wounding 26, and taking an unspecified number of passengers hostage. Dozens of hostages have already been freed following negotiations, but 31 remain in captivity.

Nigeria has been fighting an Islamist insurgency in the northeast for more than 12 years. Authorities have been heavily criticised for failing to address the general insecurity that stems from the insurgency and rampant kidnapping.

As kidnapping and hostage-taking increase across the country, the government has warned families to refrain from negotiating with kidnappers to secure the release of their loved ones.