The former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), has described the 2022 Abuja–Kaduna train terrorist attack as the most difficult challenge he faced while in office.
Speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, on Monday, Irabor said the incident severely tested the country’s security system and required him to draw upon all his military experience.
The retired army chief explained that the Defence Headquarters had to deploy extensive resources and strategies to secure the release of passengers abducted during the attack.
“For me, during the time I was CDS, the security situation around the country was most troubling,” Irabor said.
“I think the most challenging was the incident involving the train abduction, which added to the dynamics of the challenges we were facing at the time.
“All the experiences one had prior to that time were deployed to ensure those who were abducted were rescued.”
Irabor also reflected on other major security operations during his tenure, including the fight against insurgency in the north-east and efforts to protect oil infrastructure in the Niger Delta.
“Beyond that, the north-east operation was deep in my mind. Having served a greater part of my career there, I felt a need to return to ensure that operations were conducted effectively without losing our teams,” he said.
He highlighted the importance of safeguarding oil production, describing it as vital to Nigeria’s economic stability.
Speaking about life after retirement, Irabor said he now enjoys more freedom to pursue personal interests.
“It’s now relieving and freer to do what I want,” he said, adding that his service experiences inspired his book, ‘Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum.’
On March 28, 2022, terrorists attacked a Kaduna-bound train from Abuja, killing several passengers and injuring others. Sixty-one people were abducted, with all later released at different times — some after as long as seven months.
The attack drew nationwide outrage and renewed demands for improved intelligence and railway security.
In 2024, the Nigeria Police Force announced the arrest of Ibrahim Abdullahi, the suspected mastermind of the attack.
Olumuyiwa Adejobi, then police public relations officer, said Abdullahi — also known as Mande — was captured by the anti-kidnapping unit of the Kaduna State Criminal Investigation Department on January 12, 2024.
According to Adejobi, Abdullahi confessed to leading a notorious kidnapping syndicate operating along the Kaduna–Abuja highway.
Irabor served as Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff from January 2021 to June 2023 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.