Buhari meets freed train passengers In Kaduna, thanks military for their ‘brave services’

President Muhammadu Buhari has paid an unscheduled visit to the freed 23 passengers of the March 28, 2022 Abuja-Kaduna train attack.

He met with them at the Nigerian Defence Academy hospital on Thursday in Kaduna.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, disclosed this in a statement signed on Thursday titled ‘President Buhari meets freed Kaduna train passengers, thanks Nigerian military for their brave services.’

According to Shehu, the President made an impromptu visit to the hospital to see the victims of the train attack after commissioning Cadets of 69 Regular Course (Army, Navy and Air Force) of the NDA, in Afaka, Kaduna State.

“Before boarding NAF 001 back to Abuja from the Kaduna International Airport, Buhari detoured to the hospital, where he also thanked the Nigerian military for their brave services in securing the safe release of the hostages from Boko Haram terrorists.”

The PUNCH reported that, around 4pm Wednesday, terrorists released the last set of hostages taken during the attack six months ago.

In his reaction, Buhari said the nation owed the military and all other security and intelligence agencies a debt of gratitude for the successful conduct of the operation leading to the release of the hostages, saying that these agencies had shown outstanding capabilities over this period that the whole world will not fail to take note of.

At the hospital were members of the Chief of Defence Staff Action Committee, led by Maj.-Gen. Usman Abdulkadir (retd.), who facilitated the release of the hostages.

Others include Maj.-Gen Adamu Jalingo (retd.), Brig.-Gen. Abubakar Saad (retd.), Dr. Murtala Rufai, Ibrahim Abdulllahi, Ahmed Magaji and Prof Yusuf Usman who is Secretary of the committee.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, had earlier introduced the Committee members and briefed the President.