Many passengers have been wounded and many others kidnapped when terrorists attacked an Abuja – Kaduna train on Monday night.
The train which took up from Idu Railway Station in Abuja around 6:10pm was loaded with at least 970 passengers.
This attack is coming barely a day terrorists stormed Kaduna International Airport and prevented Azman passenger plane which was already taxing from taking off.
The terrorists killed a staff of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) before they were reportedly repelled by combined teams of soldiers.
Witnesses told 21st CENTURY CHRONICLE that the terrorists planted explosives on the standard gauge rail track around Dutse and Kakau, some kilometers to Rigasa Station railway in Kaduna state.
The train was derailed after the explosion, destroying the engine, generating set and some coaches.
Video footages showed many passengers with bullet wounds, calling for help.
The bandits reportedly opened sporadic fire on the train after the explosions. Witnesses shared footages of coaches destroyed by the attackers.
Kaduna state government in a statement Monday night said military personnel where deployed to the scene of the incident and they have repelled the assailants.
It was not clear as at the time of publishing this report on the number of passengers wounded, killed or even abducted.
The statement by the Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs Samuel Aruwan said the State Government received multiple reports of an attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train service at around Kateri-Rijana general areas.
‘’Relevant action agencies were urgently contacted, and robust deployments of personnel were swiftly made to the area to secure the passengers on board,” the statement said.
“Efforts are ongoing to convey the passengers from the location and others that sustained injuries have been rushed to hospitals for urgent medical attention.”
On October 20, 2021, bandits had attacked the Abuja- Kaduna train destroying some portions of the tracks and the locomotive. The assailants planted explosives on the tracks and suddenly opened fire on the locomotive engine, targeting the train driver. The train which left Abuja around 6pm arrived Kaduna around 2am.
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Engr Freeborn Okhiria, said vandals, not bandits, attacked a train service along the Abuja-Kaduna track.
