By OBSERVERS TIMES
A victim of the 2022 Abuja-Kaduna train attack has recounted a shocking encounter with one of his abductors at a mosque in Kaduna State. Comrade M. B. Muhammad said he came face-to-face with the man, identified as Abubakar, a few days ago while praying at Shema Mosque near Bakin Ruwa Junction in the Rigasa community.
In a social media post that has since gained traction, Comrade Muhammad described his disbelief at seeing Abubakar inside the mosque. “Last night, after praying the Isha’i prayer at Shema Mosque near Bakin Ruwa junction in Kaduna, by the will of God, just as the imam ended the prayer, I ran into one of the men who kidnapped us aboard the AK-9 train that was attacked on March 28, 2022, during the Abuja–Kaduna journey,” he wrote.
According to Muhammad, Abubakar claimed to have repented and abandoned terrorism, now working as a motorcycle (okada) rider. “His name is Abubakar. He told me he has repented and left terrorism behind. He now works as a motorcycle (okada) rider,” the post stated.
During their conversation, Muhammad learned that some of the kidnappers had been killed, while others continued their acts of terror. Despite the ordeal he endured, Muhammad said he chose to forgive Abubakar and even offered him charity, moved by his current circumstances. “In the end, I told him I forgave them, and I gave him some charity because of the state I saw him in. Oh Lord of all the worlds, guide us all and guide them too,” he shared.
Speaking with a Daily Trust correspondent at his office in Kaduna Metropolis, Comrade Muhammad confirmed the authenticity of his social media account. The unexpected meeting highlights the complex aftermath of the train attack and the varied paths taken by both victims and perpetrators.
