NIGERIA. ABUJA. KADUNA STATE: Shooters suspected to be armed bandits have planted explosive devices and attacked the Abuja-Kaduna railway line, destroying the train conveying about 790 passengers.
The train, which is reported to have departed Abuja to Kaduna at about 16 hours GMT and 6 pm local time, was attacked a few hours after departure at Katari and Rijana village.
Confirming the incident, the Managing Director, Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), Fidet Okhiria, said that the dangerous device planted at the railway station had succeeded in destroying the station track.
Okhiria added that Abuja-Kaduna train station is one of the most famous railway stations in Nigeria, considered safer than roads that have witnessed unspecified numbers of attacks. However, if the attack by the armed bandits continues on Nigerian train stations, it might cause its users to think of other alternative ways of traveling.
According to the Kaduna state government of Nasir El-Rufa’i, the state government and the NRC will do all they can to save the lives of the affected passengers and make the railway station safe for use again.
Kaduna state government receives the news of the train attack. It has deployed security personnel, Military, and Police to the scene of the accident to help secure the lives of the passengers.
The statement further read that medical teams are also deployed to the scene to give first aid support to the injured passengers before taking them to the hospital for further treatment.
In the same vein, an eyewitness told the journalists that after the train broke down due to the explosive device planted on the railway line, the bandits surrendered the train and started shooting at the train and passengers sporadically in the parade as passengers lay down for fear of being hit by the bullet.
However, El-Rufa’i appreciated the effort of the security personnel for their quick response whenever they were called upon and for rescuing the passengers on board the train.
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