By; MATTHEW UKACHUNWA, Lagos
Latest update on AK9 train explosion has shown that Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has as at April 14, 2022, re-railed the last rolling stock.
NRC made the announcement in a statement issued on April 13, 2022.
The ill-fated AK9 Abuja to Kaduna-bound train was bombed by bandits on 28th March 2022.
“The Corporation has now re-railed the last rolling stock. This means that all 14No. de-railed rolling stock (i.e. 11No. coaches on the ill-fated AK9 rake and 2No. coaches and 1No. locomotive on the Rescue Train) has all been re-railed and moved from the incident site to the Corporation’s stations in Idu and Rigasa,” Engr. Fidet Okhiria, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of NRC explained.
He said that intensive track repair works has continued at the site, and that an advanced level of track repairs has been achieved and would be rounded off in 10 days.
According to Okhiria, security agencies are working to ensure the rescue and release of the abducted passengers of the train.
He said that the status of 362 passengers and 20 train crew members on board has remained the same as at the Corporation’s 6th Press release.
“While we continue to sympathize with families of those who lost or have not seen their loved ones as a result of the AK9 train incident of 28th March 2022, we encourage anyone still looking for a loved one and has not reported to please contact the numbers below,” the NRC managing director wrote in the document titled: “Press Release No. 8, 13th April 2022.”
The phone numbers he listed are: Funmi 0803 354 6208, Halidu 0806 004 4600 and Hanatu 0706 670 0150.
Okhiria said that the process of linking passengers’ profiles to their NIN (National Identity Number) for improved profiling is on-going, adding: “This layer of passenger screening will commence by May, 2022.”
He disclosed that the Abuja-Kaduna Train Service (AKTS) will resume “as soon as possible” with additional security measures that will be put in place.
The Nigerian Railway leader declared: “The NRC expresses its profound gratitude to the security agencies for the continued support, especially for the security cover availed our officials and staff at the incident site.”
The NRC chief executive officer promised that the corporation will continue to give updates on developments on the subject to the general public.
