*After bandits’ attack on rail track
- Troops evacuate trapped passengers
No fewer than 970 passengers were feared trapped inside a Kaduna-bound train around a forest area in Kaduna State, where bandits reportedly bombed the rail track.
The attackers reportedly blew up the rail track, forcing the 1000-capacity train to derail around Rijana, a village on the rail corridor in Kaduna.
NRC, in a terse statement via its official Twitter page on Tuesday, said: “Dear passengers, due to unforeseen circumstances; train operations along the Abuja-Kaduna route has been temporarily suspended.
“Further Communication would be given in due course.”
But earlier on Monday evening, reports had it that the rampaging terrorists disguised as bandits surrounded the train, which remained on standstill.
“My relation who is on board the train is supposed to have arrived, but it till 9.30pm, nothing has been heard from him.
“His phone is switched. Nobody to talk to,” a worried source said.
“Villagers along Abuja-Kaduna road called to confirm hearing multiple gunshots and attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train by terrorists,” popular activist Shehu Sani tweeted Monday night.
The train reportedly departed Abuja by 6.10pm, but was yet to arrive in Kaduna as of 9.45pm on Monday.
Meanwhile, the Kaduna State government has announced completion of evacuation of passengers trapped in the Abuja-Kaduna train, which came under terrorist attack Monday evening.
The 1000 capacity train, which was reported to have about 970 passengers on board the 6:30pm schedule, departed from Idu in Abuja to Rigasa, in Kaduna State.
The government, in a statement on Tuesday morning, said passengers were evacuated from different hard-to-reach areas in forests and rocky locations in Audujongom, off the Kaduna-Abuja Road by security agents.
The statement by Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said the State government is footing the medical bills of passengers injured in the attack.
He, however, disclosed that search-and-rescue operations were still ongoing in the general area as of Tuesday morning.
The statement titled: ‘Evacuation of trapped train passengers concluded,’ reads: “Evacuation of passengers on the trapped Kaduna-bound train from Abuja has been concluded this morning by security forces, officials of Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and Nigerian Red Cross.
“Passengers, who sustained injuries, and other fatalities, have been moved to hospitals.
“The passengers were evacuated from different hard-to-reach areas in forests and rocky locations in Audujongom, off the Kaduna-Abuja Road.
“As stated yesterday (Monday), the Kaduna State government is still liaising with the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to ascertain the list from the passengers manifest for efficient tracking.
“Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who commended all those who participated in the evacuation, appealed to the hospitals to attend to the victims diligently.