A survivor of the brutal 2022 Abuja-Kaduna train attack, Comrade M Muhammad, has recounted a chance and unsettling encounter he had with one of his former captors inside a mosque in Kaduna State.
It was a harrowing night on March 28, 2022, when gunmen ambushed an Abuja–Kaduna bound train at Katari, just a short distance from its final stop. The attack left several passengers dead, many injured, and dozens kidnapped. The train had left Abuja’s Idu station at 6 p.m. and was due to arrive at Kaduna’s Rigasa station by 8 p.m. — but it never made it.
In a recent interview with Daily Trust, Muhammad revealed the unexpected moment he came face-to-face with one of the men who once held him hostage. The encounter, which happened in a mosque, turned out to be more reflective than vengeful.
“Yes, it’s true that I saw the guy Abubakar at the mosque as posted on my social media. Actually, he was shocked to see him, but I smiled at him, which made him comfortable,” Muhammad shared.
He described how both men stepped outside for a conversation where the kidnapper, identified simply as Abubakar, claimed to have abandoned his criminal ways. According to Muhammad, “We stepped outside and he told me that he has now repented now riding Okada. He also told me that one of their notorious commanders, Baba Adamu, had been killed by soldiers, and I was happy to hear that news.”
Despite the ordeal he endured, Muhammad said he had already made peace with what happened and had long forgiven the kidnappers. “Others may be surprised that I forgave him and left him to go because even before seeing him on that day, I had already forgiven them.”
However, his forgiveness does not extend to the government, which he holds accountable for the tragedy. He blamed state negligence for the deadly attack, saying intelligence warnings about a possible ambush were ignored. “Because the train was attacked due to the government’s negligence,” he stated firmly.
Muhammad also opened up about the lack of support he and other survivors received after regaining their freedom. “We spent 196 days, which was 7 months in captivity, and after our release, the government did nothing to support us apart from the drip and anti-malaria treatment given to us,” he recounted.
He explained how many of them were left to privately fund their own mental health care. “Many of us, me inclusive, battled with trauma and had to be going to the Neo Psychiatric hospital for months seeking treatment without government support.”
The story remains a bitter reminder of one of the country’s darkest days — and how, for survivors like Muhammad, the struggle did not end with their release.
