By; JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) on Thursday confirmed that the rail tracks for the Kaduna-Abuja train services were in the evening of Wednesday blown up by explosives planted on the tracks by yet to be identified persons. This is even as the Corporation said efforts are ongoing to restore the train services along that route.
Speaking to our reporter exclusively, the Managing Director of the NRC, Engineer Fidet Okhiria explained that the explosives damaged the rail tracks somewhere between Dutse and Rijana.
According to the NRC Boss, “Yes, there was an explosive on our rail track somewhere around Rijana and Dutse last night, and this damaged the tracks.
“Efforts are currently ongoing to ensure that the train services along the Kaduna-Abuja route are fully restored,”
When asked if there were gunshots aimed at the train driver and the tank of the train, the NRC MD stated that “There was nothing like that. Only an explosive that went up on the track.
But a former Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, said the Abuja-Kaduna train he boarded was attacked with explosives.
In a tweet on Thursday, Sani said it “took a miracle” for him and other passengers on the train to escape.
The former Senator said bandits opened fire on the train on Wednesday night in another attack.
He tweeted, “Yesterday, terrorists attacked the Kaduna Abuja railway with an explosive and opened fire on the train, targeting the Engine Driver & the Tank.’’
Malam Garba Muhammad who was also on the train said their escaped was miracle. He called on the government to do more in terms of security in Country.
This is despite the disconnection of telecommunication services but mostly in areas that are not even supposed to be disconnected at all.
For example as you are reaching Rigasa and precisely the Train Station, GSM services is completely disconnected because in the opinion and wrong perception of the security agencies it will halt bandits attacks and improve security. But surprisingly, 5 to 10 minutes after any train started proceeding to Abuja and in the forest and bushes (the enclave of the bandits) where there is supposed to be total shutdown of communication services to halt their coordination and plans, GSM services is available. One really wonders the motive behind the GSM service disruption. Is it meant to further crippled the economic lives of the poor or to make it even more convenient for the bandits to easily operate, communicate within themselves in the bushes and forest where they have limited and in some places full GSM services?
“This government I believes is NOT working at all and that it is the poor that are suffering more for it. A review by Government is very much necessary. We have seen recently how the shutdown of services ease and FAILED to stop the killing of nearly 100 innocent souls in Goronyo, Sokoto State.”
Nigeria is facing security challenges almost in all parts of the country especially in the North West, North East and South East.
North West are facing Kidnapping and banditry, North East are facing Boko Haram and ISWAP. South East also facing IPOB.
