MURIC blasts families of abducted train passengers over stoppage of rail services

The Abuja-Kaduna train attack victim’s families have come under fire from the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), an Islamic advocacy group, for their determination that rail service should not resume until all of the prisoners have been freed.

Until their loved ones are freed, family members of the passengers who were kidnapped on March 28 and are still in captivity have fought against any efforts by the Nigerian Railway Corporation to restore service on the Abuja-Kaduna route.
However, MURIC claimed in a statement released on Friday by its Director-General, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, that stopping the trains only because certain passengers’ relatives are held captive prevents others from using the rail services.

In the statement, Akintola said though MURIC sympathises with aggrieved families, the way they are going about their protest calls for caution and not politicising the incident.

However, the Islamic group said thousands of Nigerians who use the railway services are being deprived of the service which is a “dividend of democracy” and calls for them to sheathe their swords so that work can resume in the sector.

Part of the statement reads:

“It has been a very sad and unfortunate incident and we solidarise with the victims and their families. But life must continue particularly in view of the large number of citizens who are suffering the consequences.

“This is where the families of the victims need to do a rethink and allow the resumption of the train services. One major reason for this is that the disruption only serves the interest of the bandits and that of enemies of Nigeria.

“Stopping the movement of train and rail activities are only punishing innocent Nigerians and not the President or the Federal Government.

“That is an integral part of Nigeria’s infrastructure. If anyone thinks he is depriving President Muhammadu Buhari of the joy of achievement in the area of railway transportation by disrupting train services, such a person is making a big mistake.

“Unfortunately, it is another vital part of the anatomy of the North that is bleeding.

“We are, therefore, compelled to think there may be more to the train attack than meets the eyes.

“The families of the victims of kidnapping and other attacks have never attempted to stop innocent Nigerians from enjoying the services of either a local or State government on account of such attacks.”