Nigerian military says last hostages from March train attack freed

FILE PHOTO: A woman is seen with a poster of Nigeria's president Muhammadu Buhari, as relatives of the Kaduna train kidnapped victims protest, following the threat from bandits to kill the victims if ransom demand is not paid, at the ministry of transport in Abuja, Nigeria July 25, 2022. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde/File Photo

Nigeria's military has secured the release of the remaining 23 hostages from a train attack by gunmen in northern Kaduna state in March, which saw dozens kidnapped and six others killed, a defence official said on Wednesday.

The government blamed the attack on Islamist insurgency Boko Haram. The attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train led to the suspension of a service that was popular with passengers who feared attacks and kidnappings by gunmen on Nigerian highways.