WATCH THE VIDEO HERE Three years after enduring harrowing 197 days in captivity, Bala Mohammed, a survivor of the 2022 Abuja-Kaduna train attack, says he has forgiven his abductors — but not the Nigerian government. In an interview with Trust TV, Mohammed recounted a surreal moment when he unexpectedly met one of his former captors at a mosque in the Bairua area of Kaduna metropolis during Friday prayers. “Surely, I met one Abubakar who happened to be our guard when we were held at Shema filling station in Bakinruwa. After prayer, I turned and saw a face I recognised. He just laughed at me, and we shook hands. Then he panicked and began to tremble,” Mohammed narrated. The chance meeting turned into a one-hour conversation between Mohammed and Abubakar, the repentant bandit, who confessed to leaving armed robbery and embracing the Kaduna State government’s offer of rehabilitation for repentant criminals. “We found a place to sit down and talked a lot. I even asked about some of his colleagues, like Baba Adamu. He told me the Nigerian Army had killed Baba Adamu, who was one of the most notorious among them. I was happy to hear that,” said Mohammed. Despite the emotional toll of the meeting, Mohammed said he parted ways peacefully with Abubakar, even giving him a small sum of money. He’s now riding okada (motorcycle taxi) to survive. He looked so poor—his shoes, his face, everything about him was pathetic,” he said. While Mohammed says his faith allows him to forgive his captors, his anger towards the Nigerian government remains undiminished. “I won’t forgive the government,” he said. “I left my wife with a four-month pregnancy. People gathered money for her, yet the government didn’t even call her, not to talk of helping.” According to Mohammed, his wife had to undergo a caesarean section to give birth while he was still in captivity, yet not a “single kobo” was offered by the government. “Even after our release, many of us had to go to the neuropsychiatric hospital for treatment. We’re still dealing with trauma, and the government never supported us,” he added. Mohammed still suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a psychological scar that lingers years after the incident. “Three people were killed right beside me that day. But I survived, and I thank Almighty Allah. That’s why I forgive the bandits. But the government? Never. ” The March 28, 2022, Abuja-Kaduna train attack shocked the nation, leaving at least eight people dead and dozens kidnapped. Survivors like Mohammed continue to grapple with the emotional, physical, and financial fallout, often without institutional support.
I Won’t Forgive Nigerian Govt – Man Says 3 Years After Meeting Bandit Who Abducted Him Now ‘Repentant’ In Kaduna Mosque
