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By Olayemi Esan
A Facebook user has confirmed the presence of Troops of Operation Hadarin Daji at the scene of Mondays attack where suspected terrorists detonated bombs on the railtrack of Abuja-Kaduna train and successfully immobilised it.
According to the post, the Facebook user, Anas Iro Danmusa said “Alhmamudililah, the army are with us, we are safe”.
The Kaduna State government has said the scene of the attack has been taken over by the military.
A statement by the Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said security agencies have reported the situation to the Kaduna State Government.
“The Kaduna 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.
“Efforts are ongoing to convey the passengers from the location and others that sustained injuries have been rushed to hospitals for urgent medical attention.
“The Government of Kaduna State will be liaising with the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to ascertain the list from the passengers’ manifest for efficient tracking.
“This is to acquire an accurate inventory of all passengers and their actual status,” Mr Aruwan said.
Governor Nasir El-Rufa’i, who has been in constant touch with the security forces, commended them for their prompt response, and thanked them for successfully securing the train and passengers on board.
“Security forces continue to comb the general area in additional rescue efforts.
“Emerging developments will be communicated to the public,” added.
Reports say, Suspected terrorists on Monday detonated bombs on the railtrack of Abuja-Kaduna train and successfully immobilised it.
Hundreds of passengers traveling to the north-western region of Nigeria, several others were injured in Dutse, Kaduna State by bandits who allegedly bombed an Abuja-Kaduna bound train.
A passenger, who survived the onslaught, said about 970 passengers might have been taken away into the bush by the rampaging bandits whom he said came on motorbikes wielding guns and other deadly weapons.
The incident happened two days after an attack at the Kaduna Airport where 2 officials of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency ( NAMA) were killed by the bandits with some other workers kidnapped.
The train took off at Idu station in Abuja at 6.pm and was billed to arrive Rigasa train station, Kaduna by 8pm
Although the police authorities are yet to confirm the attack.
The bandits reportedly attacked the train around Dutse axis in Kaduna, just a few kilometres to the Rigasa Train Station in Igabi Local Government Area of the state.
A source said the bandits bombed the train track with an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) which forced the train to derail.
Upon the stoppage of the train, the assailants were said to have begun to fire gunshots sporadically.
The sources added that the terrorists later forced their way into the train and kidnapped an unspecified number of people, with some others feared killed.
