President Muhammadu Buhari says the federal government will not use force in securing the release of the remaining abductees of the ill-fated Abuja-Kaduna train.
The president said they had weighed all options and concluded that the best way to bring all the victims back home safely was not to use force.
He, however, assured that the federal government was doing everything within its powers to ensure the safe return of the remaining captives.
Buhari gave the assurance Thursday during a meeting with the representatives of the families of the victims at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The meeting came two days after seven more kidnapped passengers of the March 28 train attack regained their freedom after spending 135 days in the custody of the terrorists.
Addressing those who made it to the villa, Buhari, who commiserated with the families of the victims and those who lost their loved ones, said since the “terrible and cowardly attack by the criminal elements” on March 28, 2022, the nation had joined them to endure a period of difficulty and emotional pains.
He told them that in the immediate aftermath of the incident, several actions had been taken by government to bring succour to the affected families and to prevent a recurrence in the country.
The President, in a statement issued by his spokesman, Femi Adesina, explained his reason for discarding the use of lethal military force in extracting the remaining abductees.
“I have been informed that at last count, there remain about 31 people in the hands of the kidnappers, and our determination is to work towards returning these 31 people to their families.
“It is understandable that emotions typically run high, we have received several suggestions about the deployment of lethal military force in extracting those still being held in captivity.
“This option has indeed been considered and evaluated. However, the condition to guarantee a successful outcome and minimize potential collateral damage could not be assured and therefore that course of action had to be reluctantly discarded.
“My primary concern is to get everyone released safe and unhurt,’’ he said.
