President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday vowed to rescue 31 hostages taken in a train attack and return them “safe and unhurt”, his office said, five months after their abduction, IgbereTV reports
Gangs of bandits with no ideological or religious motives are known to kidnap for ransom in northwest and central Nigeria.
On March 28, armed men blew up a train travelling between Abuja and Kaduna and opened fire, killing eight people, wounding 26, and taking an unspecified number of passengers hostage.
A week later, they freed one hostage — a top bank executive — as a goodwill gesture for Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting, because of his “advanced age”.
Dozens of hostages have already been freed following negotiations, but 31 remain in captivity
