*Several feared dead as security rescue trapped passengers
From Abubakar Mallam, Kaduna
Suspected terrorists have detonated bombs on the railtrack of the Abuja-Kaduna rail line, and successfully immobilised a Kaduna bound train, killing several people and kidnapping scores.
The incident occurred at Kateri-Rijana area in Kaduna State late Monday evening.
One of the passengers who confirmed the incident in a telephone call said immediately the explosion occurred the, the terrorists surrounded the train, shooting sporadically.
“All the passengers are currently lying on the floor of the train. The bandits are shooting sporadically. We are in serious danger,” the panic-stricken passenger said.
There are about 1,000 passengers aboard the train, according to official sources familiar with the train service.
The Commissioner, Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Kaduna State, Samuel Aruwan, confirmed the attack in a statement.
He however said troops eventually secured the train adding that everything was being done to secure the lives of the passengers and take them to a safe point.
According to the Commissioner, “security agencies have reported to the Kaduna State Government that the military has secured the Kaduna bound train from Abuja trapped by terrorists.
“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 on-going 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.
“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,” the statement said.
The development has compounded the problem of travellers between Abuja and Kaduna.
Several people had abandoned the Abuja-Kaduna Road due to kidnapping, and resorted to the railways.
One of the passengers in the train told Channels Television that 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.
He added that the terrorists later forced their way into the train and kidnapped unspecified number of people, with some others feared killed.
Another passenger on the train, Anas Danmusa, took to his Facebook handle to cry for help.
According to him, nobody could come to their rescue about one hour into the incident as the assailants tried to force their way into the train.
The NRC is yet to issue a statement as at the time of filing this report.
