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A Safe Route No More: Nigerians Mourn Victims of Deadly Train Attack

An attack by gunmen on a popular train route connecting Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, to a regional hub in the north, has left many with a growing feeling of insecurity.

By Elian Peltier and Ben Ezeamalu

DAKAR, Senegal — Hundreds of passengers on a train, many regular commuters traveling north from Nigeria’s capital of Abuja to the thriving city of Kaduna, were just minutes away from their final destination on Monday evening when they felt a bump and the train came to a stop.

Next thing they knew, gunmen riddled the train cars with bullets and stormed on board, ordering the passengers off. In a first class coach, Regina Ngorngor, a 46-year-old librarian, said she hid under her seat and covered herself with luggage when she heard the first shots. The gunmen later shouted, “Everybody goes out, or we will shoot you,” but she remained hidden.

Hours later, she said, she was rescued by the Nigerian military, uninjured but her body covered with blood and dead passengers lying nearby. At least eight people were killed and 26 injured in the attack, and an unknown number are still missing — their relatives fearing they were kidnapped.

The attack has badly shaken Nigeria because the train line was considered a safe alternative to the busy highway heading north from the capital, where armed groups have for years robbed and kidnapped drivers, wringing out ransoms.

“Now people are scared of using the road, the train, and they’re just tired of that insecurity,” said Yusuf Felix, a 30-year-old communication specialist at a civil society organization, who donated blood on Tuesday at a Kaduna hospital where some of the victims were being treated.

The incident has compounded the deep sense of insecurity and resentment of the government in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, where gunmen in the northwest have escalated their attacks — abducting schoolchildren, killing villagers, and kidnapping civilians for ransom.

Although no group has claimed responsibility for the attack on the train, a growing number of armed groups are now roaming the region. What started as vigilante groups formed to defend herders and farmers from each other has morphed into banditry, analysts say, with individuals using more sophisticated weapons and more violent methods.

Some have adopted an Islamist veneer, or claimed an affiliation with Islamist groups: Three passengers who were on the train on Monday said in interviews that the attackers had shouted “Allahu akbar,” a phrase in Muslim prayer that’s been co-opted by terrorists.

Monday’s attack was the second one on the Abuja-Kaduna line in months, and it came just days after gunmen killed one security guard in an attack at the Kaduna city airport.

On the popular two-and-a-half-hour regional train route, at least one armed guard sits in each coach and plainclothes officers also patrol the train, according to Kabir Adamu, a security expert who conducted a security assessment on the line.

“A criminal agenda has emerged and over time the ferocity of the attacks has increased,” said Mr. Adamu, the managing director of Beacon Consulting Limited, an Abuja-based security and intelligence firm. “The Nigerian state has been unable to hold those who are responsible for the population’s security accountable.”

The escalating violence in the country’s north is a major setback for President Muhammadu Buhari, who was elected in 2015 promising that security would be one of his top priorities, said Nnamdi Obasi, a Lagos-based senior adviser on Nigeria at the International Crisis Group.

“There was some hope at the time of his election that Buhari, a former military man from the north, would be well positioned to deal with the insecurity,” Mr. Obasi said. “It’s been a huge disillusionment.”

Mr. Buhari on Tuesday denounced the assault on the train as a “callous attack” and said that “no one should be allowed to hold the country to ransom.”

On Tuesday, Nigerians blamed the 79-year-old president for his inability to stem the surge of violence. Many also criticized him on social media for allegedly planning to attend a soccer game between Nigeria’s national team and Ghana’s in Abuja, while families were mourning or caring for survivors. But an intelligence memo published Wednesday on local news media indicated that Mr. Buhari had stayed away from the stadium after the country’s security services warned him about a potential bomb attack.

The Nigerian Railway Corporation said that more than 360 passengers were on board when the attack occurred on Monday, but several local news reports said it was nearly 1,000.

The victims included Chinelo Megafu Nwando, a dentist who was coming back from Abuja after collecting her visa to travel abroad; Abdul Isa Kofar-Mata, the director of Nigeria’s top organization for technical education; and Farida Sule Muhammed, a 29-year-old banker.

“I’m in the train,” Ms. Nwando wrote on Twitter shortly before 10 p.m. “I have been shot please pray for me.”

Another passenger, Maimunnat Ibrahim, 29, said she was sleeping when she felt the bump in the track and the train stopped. She heard gunshots and gunmen breaking windows. As they stormed the first class coach that was next to hers, Ms. Ibrahim realized that she was bleeding: She had been shot in her thigh.

Ms. Ibrahim said in a telephone interview from a hospital on Wednesday, where she was still being treated, that several passengers in her coach had either died of gunshots or in a stampede when they rushed to get off the train.

Many families on Wednesday were still looking for relatives who were unaccounted for.

“I haven’t heard from her and her phone isn’t connecting,” Peter Aboi said of his 28-year-old twin sister, Peace, who was returning home to Kaduna. Their cousin, who was traveling with Peace, is also missing.

In a statement confirming the death of Ms. Nwando, the dentist, a representative for the Nigerian Medical Association said the rampant insecurity was a tragedy that is driving educated professionals to leave the country.

“Needless bloodletting and senseless loss of lives is fast becoming a recurrent decimal in our country,” said Aniekeme Uwah, the representative, “thus worsening the alarming effects of brain drain, which in many instances have been attributable to the worsening security situation in the country.”

A saxophone and tennis player, Ms. Nwando was known for her enthusiasm and her nonjudgmental attitude toward others, according to Chimeze Ibe, 31, a friend and former university classmate.

“She loved life, she just enjoyed being herself,” Mr. Ibe said.

Train traffic remained suspended as of Wednesday, blocking countless residents who rely on the route and who don’t want to use the even more dangerous highway.

In a telephone interview from her home in Kaduna, Ms. Ngorngor, the librarian who hid for two hours in the train, was still in shock. “The kidnappers said that more would come,” she said. “They said they were just starting.”

Elian Peltier reported from Dakar, Senegal, and Ben Ezeamalu from Lagos, Nigeria. Ismail Alfa contributed reporting from Maiduguri, Nigeria.

Elian Peltier is a reporter on the International desk of The New York Times, based in London. More about Elian Peltier

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Rail staff killed in ‘unprecedented’ attack on train in Nigeria

Suspected bandits blow up track and open fire on train travelling from Abuja to Kaduna

Gunmen have attacked a train travelling from the Nigerian capital, Abuja, to the city of Kaduna, in an “unprecedented” act of violence that will heighten concerns about a breakdown of security in the country’s troubled northern region.

The death toll is unclear but a local security official told Reuters two train staff and five security personnel had been killed. A senator in Kaduna state separately said three cleaning staff on the train had died. Many others were injured and there were fears that an unknown number had been abducted.

Authorities could not immediately confirm the number of passengers on the train but local media reported that nearly 1,000 people were onboard.

The attackers used explosives to blow up the rail track before opening fire, according to Fidet Okhiria, the chief executive of the state-owned Nigerian Railway Corporation. “There were casualties but we have not been able to confirm the number,” Okhiria told Associated Press, describing the nature of the attack as unprecedented.

The attack occurred in Katari in Kaduna state, 55 miles from Abuja, on Monday evening. Many Nigerians use the railway as a safer alternative to the road route between Abuja and Kaduna, which for years has been one of the most dangerous in Nigeria because of kidnappings and armed bandits.

No group has claimed responsibility for Monday night’s attack but suspicion will fall on bandit groups.A Kaduna government official said passengers trapped on the train and others who had escaped to nearby forests were evacuated on Tuesday morning.

The attack is the most significant on the railway line from the capital since it began operating in 2016. It came two days after gunmen attacked Kaduna airport, killing a security guard before soldiers intervened.

Details of the latest incident emerged on Monday night, when passengers posted on social media that they were being shot at. One passenger who posted on Twitter during the attack that she had been shot later died, her colleagues said.

Some passengers complained that the attack continued for at least an hour before soldiers arrived to rescue them.

Video footage broadcast by local media showed passengers with bullet wounds and damaged carriages.

It has not been possible to establish a precise death toll. A senator in Kaduna, Shehu Sani, said passengers and police reported multiple deaths.

“Police officers confirmed that three train cleaners were killed. My friend’s wife, who was on the train, also said many people in her carriage were killed and injured and many kidnapped and taken away into the bush,” he said. “I got distress calls from some of the passengers. Even from the call you can hear the gunshots.”

The security situation in Kaduna had been gradually deteriorating, Sani said. “We used to travel by road, and the bandits blocked the road. Then we resorted to using the trains. Now this incident.”

Samuel Aruwan, a commissioner for defence at the Kaduna state government, said injured passengers had been taken to hospitals and that the government would cover the cost of their treatment. Relatives of the injured have made public appeals for people in Kaduna to donate blood.

Federal authorities have yet to release a statement.

Much of north-west and central Nigeria has been in the grip of attacks by so-called bandit groups, proscribed terrorists in Nigeria, who have carried out mass killings mainly in villages, rural towns and motorways. The groups – mostly ethnic Fulanis – have kidnapped thousands of people for ransom as well as killing, stealing and committing acts of sexual violence.

They emerged from a historical conflict that has worsened dramatically, between largely Fulani pastoralists and farmers of varying ethnic groups, over access to water and land and the boundaries between private farmland and grazing areas.

In recent years, the groups have overwhelmed communities and been more heavily armed than local police forces and vigilante groups. Kidnaps for ransom, targeting schoolchildren, ordinary civilians, prominent figures and their relatives have boomed in recent years.

The groups have in effect occupied many communities in north-west and central Nigeria, punishing communities that cooperate with authorities and demanding levies.

Jihadist groups have also become increasingly active in north-west Nigeria, exploiting the lack of security and in some cases working with bandits to carry out kidnaps.

Airstrikes have been launched on the hideouts of armed groups in a forested expanse stretching from northern Nigeria into Niger but the attacks have continued.

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Nigeria train resumes operations eight months after major attack

The Kaduna train attack was one of several major incidents this year underscoring the challenge facing Nigeria’s overstretched security forces.

A train service linking Nigeria’s capital Abuja with the northern city of Kaduna has resumed operations eight months after it was suspended following one of the country’s most high-profile abduction incidents.

On March 28, gunmen with explosives blew up the tracks and assaulted the train travelling between Abuja and Kaduna. They opened fire, killing eight people, wounding 26, and taking over 100 passengers hostage .

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The hostages were released in batches following negotiations with their captors, who were believed to have collected huge ransoms from their families.

Reporters from AFP news agency and the local Punch newspaper who were at the railway station in Abuja on Monday said the train departed the nation’s capital around 10am (09:00 GMT) for the two-hour journey to Kaduna.

Passengers were few – only occupying one-third of the train’s capacity – but excited that the service was back after eight months.

“I was just waiting for the commencement of this train service again, so I was so happy to be here today,” passenger Ganiyat Adesina, a 50-year-old university professor, told AFP.

She had arrived early at the station to beat the gridlock on the road.

“Just like 30 minutes after my arrival, we saw a team of military men with two armoured tanks and other vehicles – about five of them parading all these places,” she added.

“This is what I’m actually expecting the federal government to do.”

She said moving between Abuja and Kaduna had been “very stressful for people and for myself, I have to even stop going to Kaduna for the last eight months”.

Police said they had deployed personnel and equipment to protect the passengers and secure the tracks.

The Nigerian Railway Corporation – operators of the train – had planned to restart the Abuja-Kaduna service much earlier, but the families of the hostages insisted on their release first.

They were also concerned about the safety of passengers on the route.

The Abuja highway has been repeatedly attacked by gunmen who kidnap passengers, forcing travellers to opt for the train.

President Muhammadu Buhari, who steps down after a February election, sees the development of the railway as key to his infrastructure programmes.

The military is battling a conflict perpetuated by Boko Haram and its offshoots in the northeast, armed bandits in the northwest, and separatist tensions in the country’s southeast.

The security challenge is a major issue for Buhari’s successor before the presidential ballot.

Nigeria resumes Abuja-Kaduna train service attacked by gunmen

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Abuja-Kaduna Train Attack: Survivors Recount Ordeal With Terrorists

Some survivors of the Abuja-Kaduna train attack have recounted their ordeal and how they narrowly escaped the whiskers on Monday night.

Daily Independent had on Monday night reported that some gunmen suspected to be terrorists bombed the Abuja-Ka­duna rail tracks and attacked a train filled with passengers, leaving many dead and sever­al people injured.

The train was forced to a halt after the terrorists planted bombs on the tracks. Witnesses said the attackers later surrounded most of the coaches and opened fire before they forcefully gained access, fired at random, which led to the death of some people. 

Narrating their experiences, one of the survivors, who identified himself as Sani Carpenter, said he escaped from the terrorists hours after he and several others were kidnapped. 

According to him, I hid in the forest and waited for security agents who accompanied the Chief of Army Staff and the Inspector General of Police to reveal themselves. 

One of the correspondents of Daily Trust who travelled to the Audu Jangwam community along the Kaduna-Abuja Highway witnessed when the security agents returned from the bush with Sani who revealed that he had escaped the kidnappers by the grace of God.  

Narrating his ordeal, he said, “The terrorists took me along with other passengers when they attacked the train in their large numbers, but as they were taking us into the bush, I managed to run away. They took many people away but I escaped through the darkness into the bush.

“While I was roaming in the bush, I saw security agencies that came this morning (Tuesday) to the scene so they picked me.”  

Following the incident, many families have taken to social media where they announced the death of their loved ones while others said theirs were still missing because they could not be accounted for by authorities while their telephone lines could not be reached.  

Sources at the Rigasa Train Station said two staff of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) were among the casualties even though our correspondent could not independently confirm this.  

The train, which had been attacked in the past reportedly left Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, at about 6 pm on Monday before it was attacked between Katari and Rijana communities in Kaduna State.  

It was reportedly conveying over 350 passengers as the train service remained the “safest’ in recent times as a result of the rampant attacks by terrorists on the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, which had claimed hundreds of lives in the last few years. 

However, the driver of the train and many others are still missing hours after the attack. A colleague of the driver who craved anonymity said that the train driver could not be reached since the incident happened.  

According to him, “Sani left Kaduna with the 2: pm train and was expected back to Kaduna at 8 pm. He is a friend and a colleague because we were together a day before he left and we tried calling his phone since the incident but it was not unreachable.”  

The colleague further disclosed that the driver is an indigene of Bauchi State who recently relocated his family to the Rigasa community.  

Since the commencement of rail transportation between Abuja and Kaduna, thousands of travellers have avoided the 150km road and opted for the train, which appeared safer. 

As of Tuesday morning, our correspondents gathered that about 25 victims who sustained gunshot wounds were receiving treatment at the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital and St. Gerald Hospital, all in Kaduna.  

“Doctors are battling to save the lives of some of the critically injured,” said a staff of the military hospital who asked not to be identified. 

Our correspondents who visited the army hospital observed panicking relatives at the waiting area as they moved around the emergency section to know the fate of their loved ones. Many of them were seen praying while others were caught in deep thought while awaiting the status of their relatives from the hospital authorities.  

A health worker at the hospital who pleaded for anonymity confirmed to  Daily Trust  that nine bodies had been deposited at the hospital’s mortuary. “So far, there are nine bodies all with gunshot wounds, in fact, one of the victim’s head was badly damaged because he was hit by the bullet on the forehead.”  

However, our correspondents could not establish whether the attempted siege was on the train conveying the transportation minister or another one as many prominent government officials had visited the scene yesterday.  

A source said military operatives succeeded in repelling the assailants based on the security report they received while on the train.  

Amaechi said contacts tracing had started to identify everyone on the train. “The Kaduna State government and the Nigerian Railway Corporation are all trying to make contact with those on the manifest. There are a few persons who are not on the manifest like the staff of the NRC, staff of the cleaning contractor, they are not on the manifest and we may not be able to completely account for them but those on the manifest, calls are being made to reach them.”  

On his part, the Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan said the Kaduna State government had received from the NRC, the detailed passenger manifest.

According to the documents received, he said 398 passengers bought tickets for the trip, but 362 were validated as having boarded the train through the recognised turnstile.

“Investigations are still ongoing to ascertain the status of the passengers who were onboard the train and remain unaccounted for at the time of this update. Search operations are also being sustained,” he said.

Our correspondent gathered from sources at the Kubwa and Idu Train Stations that at least ten dead bodies were evacuated. Besides those killed, the sources said that most of those kidnapped were VIP passengers. 

Adedayo Babatunde is a seasoned journalist and an enthusiastic organic content writer, passionate about informing the public about happenings around them.

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Abuja-Kaduna train bombing: 9 killed, dozens missing; survivors recount ordeal

The train was forced to a halt after the terrorists planted bombs on the tracks. Witnesses said the attackers later surrounded most of the coaches…

N igeria is in mourning following the Monday night bombing of the Kaduna-bound train by hundreds of terrorists.

The train was forced to a halt after the terrorists planted bombs on the tracks. Witnesses said the attackers later surrounded most of the coaches and opened fire before they forcefully gained access, fired at random, which led to the death of some people.  

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They also forced some of the travellers, among them dozens of women and children out of the train into the nearby bushes.

Some witnesses said about nine corpses from the ill-fated train have been recovered and deposited at the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital Kaduna, while doctors have been battling to save the lives of those who sustained critical gunshot wounds.  

Other sources said those killed were between nine and ten, while the Kaduna State government and the ministry of transportation put the casualty figure at eight.  

Many families have taken to the social media where they announced the death of their loved ones while others said theirs were still missing because they could not be accounted for by authorities while their telephone lines could not be reached.  

Sources at the Rigasa Train Station said two staff of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) were among the casualties even though our correspondent could not independently confirm this.  

The train, which had been attacked in the past reportedly left Abuja, the Nigeria’s capital, at about 6 pm on Monday before it was attacked between Katari and Rijana communities in Kaduna State.  

It was reportedly conveying over 350 passengers as the train service remained the “safest’ in recent times as a result of the rampant attacks by terrorists on the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, which had claimed hundreds of lives in the last few years.  

With the latest incident, which prompted the suspension of train services through the Abuja corridor, access to Kaduna and by extension many parts of the North West and North East have been restricted considering the stoppage of most commercial flights to Kaduna following the terrorists’ siege on the airport at the weekend.  

Since the commencement of rail transportation between Abuja and Kaduna, thousands of travellers have avoided the 150km road and opted for the train, which appeared safer.  

As of Tuesday morning, our correspondents gathered that about 25 victims who sustained gunshot wounds were receiving treatment at the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital and St. Gerald Hospital, all in Kaduna.  

“Doctors are battling to save the lives of some of the critically injured,” said a staff of the military hospital who asked not to be identified.  

Our correspondents who visited the army hospital observed panicking relatives at the waiting area as they moved around the emergency section to know the fate of their loved ones. Many of them were seen praying while others were caught in deep thought while awaiting the status of their relatives from the hospital authorities.  

A health worker at the hospital who pleaded for anonymity confirmed to Daily Trust that nine bodies had been deposited at the hospital’s mortuary. “So far, there are nine bodies all with gunshot wounds, in fact, one of the victim’s head was badly damaged because he was hit by the bullet on the forehead.”  

Fresh attack on emergency train  

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi yesterday confirmed that eight people were killed during the attack. He stated this shortly after he visited the scene of the attack.  

“The numbers we have showed that there are eight casualties. There are 25 persons in the hospital and the total number of passengers is 398,” the minister told journalists.

It was learnt yesterday that there was a fresh attempt to attack one of the emergency service trains shuttling between Abuja and Kaduna.  

However, our correspondents could not establish whether the attempted siege was on the train conveying the transportation minister or another one as many prominent government officials had visited the scene yesterday.  

A source said military operatives succeeded in repelling the assailants based on the security report they received while on the train.  

The visibly angry Amaechi told reporters that Monday’s attack would have been foiled if his colleagues (who he didn’t name) did not block the procurement of N3 billion high capacity rail track cameras and sensors that will eliminate all blind spots on the train corridors across the country.  

“We knew what the problems will be. We know we needed to have digital security equipment on the corridors. We applied for it. Let me just stop here so I don’t hurt so many people. But I heard the president has given a directive that the procurement must be completed immediately,” he said.  

According to him, “If we had those equipment on the tracks, you will see the entire track. And we warned that lives will be lost. Now lives are lost; eight persons dead and 25 persons are in the hospital. We don’t know how many people have been kidnapped. And the cost of those equipment is just N3bn. The cost of what we have lost is more than N3bn. We have lost track. We have lost locomotives and coaches. We have lost human beings. And the equipment is just N3bn. To fix the damages will cost more than N3bn.”  

Amaechi said contacts tracing had started to identify everyone on the train. “The Kaduna State government and the Nigerian Railway Corporation are all trying to make contact with those on the manifest. There are a few persons who are not on the manifest like the staff of the NRC, staff of the cleaning contractor, they are not on the manifest and we may not be able to completely account for them but those on the manifest, calls are being made to reach them.”  

On his part, the Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan said the Kaduna State government had received from the NRC, the detailed passenger manifest.

According to the documents received, he said 398 passengers bought tickets for the trip, but 362 were validated as having boarded the train through the recognised turnstile.

“Investigations are still ongoing to ascertain the status of the passengers who were onboard the train and remain unaccounted for at the time of this update. Search operations are also being sustained,” he said.

Our correspondent gathered from sources at the Kubwa and Idu Train Stations that at least ten dead bodies were evacuated. Besides those killed, the sources said that most of those kidnapped were VIP passengers.  

High profile victims  

The Secretary-General of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Nigeria, Barrister Musa-Lawal Ozigi, was among the passengers killed when terrorists bombed the train.  

President of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, Comrade Quadri Olaleye, who confirmed the killing of Ozigi said he was killed alongside the Kwara State Chairman of the union, Comrade Akin Akinsola.  

According to Olaleye, they were on their way to Kaduna for an official assignment slated for Tuesday, 29 March 2022.  

Comrade Ozigi served in the capacity of General Secretary, Construction and Civil Engineering Senior Staff Association (CCESSA), an affiliate of TUC for almost two decades before he joined Congress in 2012.  

Comrade Akinsola was a staff of Dangote Flour Mill under OLAM. They were both seasoned Trade Unionists.

“We call on the government at all levels, especially the federal government to rise up to the occasion to stop the killing of innocent Nigerians. As it stands, nowhere is safe now – we cannot travel by air, the road is not safe and neither is the rail. Is Nigeria a failed state? It is unfortunate,” he said.  

Medical doctor among those killed  

A medical doctor working with Saint Gerald Hospital Kaduna, Dr Chinelo Megafu Nwando was among those killed by bandits when they attacked the Kaduna- bound train.  

The Secretary of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Kaduna branch, Dr Aisha Mustapha confirmed the death of the dentist saying she was to leave for Canada on Friday.  

She also disclosed in a short statement sent to Daily Trust that the association was saddened by the death of the doctor.

She described the deceased as a very dedicated member and professional that would be missed.  

It was learnt that the late doctor graduated in 2016 from the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State.  

The late medical doctor had shortly after the attack twitted that she was shot but many commentators took her to the cleaners on the ground that she was lying.

“Her death was shocking, we boarded the same cab from Barnawa in Kaduna South to the train station around 5.30am on Monday,” said a journalist who also travelled with her on the morning train to Abuja.

“She was killed in the evening train on her way back to Abuja. I am really devastated even though it was my first time meeting her,” he said.

Similarly, a director at the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Abdu Isa Kofarmata was also killed by the terrorists.

Family sources who described the deceased as an easy-going man said he would be buried by 4 pm yesterday.

A former Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Ibrahim Wakkala, is currently recuperating from a gunshot injury he sustained during the attack on the train.

The former media aide to the ex-Deputy Governor, Yusuf Idris, told Daily Trust that Wakkala was shot in the leg and is currently receiving treatment in a medical facility in Kaduna.

“He is responding to treatment very well. He is answering phone calls in his bed. I spoke to him and several other people spoke to him also. There is no cause for alarm,” Yusuf said.  

Among those abducted was the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank of Agriculture, Alwan Hassan. Also taken away by the terrorists was, Sadiq, the son of Professor Ango Abdullahi, the Chairman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF).  

How we escaped from terrorists  

Many passengers who escaped by the whiskers narrated their experiences, which they prayed never to witness again.

One of them, who identified himself as Sani Carpenter, said he escaped from the terrorists hours after he and several others were kidnapped.  

He said he hid in the forest and waited for security agents who accompanied the Chief of Army Staff and the Inspector General of Police to reveal himself.  

Our correspondents who travelled to the Audu Jangwam community along the Kaduna-Abuja Highway witnessed when the security agents returned from the bush with Sani who revealed that he had escaped the kidnappers by the grace of God.  

Narrating his ordeal, he said, “The terrorists took me along with other passengers when they attacked the train in their large numbers, but as they were taking us into the bush, I managed to run away. They took many people away but I escaped through the darkness into the bush. While I was roaming in the bush, I saw security agencies that came this morning (Tuesday) to the scene so they picked me.”  

He was visibly shaken as he was taken away in a police vehicle.  

The driver of the train also identified as Sani and many others are still missing hours after the attack. A colleague of the driver who craved anonymity told Daily Trust that the train driver could not be reached since the incident happened.  

According to him, “Sani left Kaduna with the 2: pm train and was expected back to Kaduna at 8pm. He is a friend and a colleague because we were together a day before he left and we tried calling his phone since the incident but it was not unreachable.”  

The colleague further disclosed that the driver is an indigene of Bauchi State who recently relocated his family to the Rigasa community.  

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday met behind closed doors with security chiefs after the attack during which he reportedly tasked them to rise to the occasion.  

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Official silence, uncertainty reign hours after attack on Abuja-Kaduna train

PHOTO: TWITTER/NIGERIAN RAILWAY CORPORATION

A former Nigerian senator has blamed the government for the Monday night attack on a passenger train.

Shehu Sani, formerly of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) said the attack was “preventable”.

The train was travelling from Nigeria’s capital city Abuja to Kaduna when a rail track was blown off and was attacked by terrorists.

Sani was travelling on the Abuja-Kaduna route when gunmen blew up a section of the track last October in a similar attack. He suggested that the government’s failure to act on the promises made at the time emboldened the attackers.

READ MORE : NRC suspend Abuja-Kaduna train trips after terrorist attack

“Lessons weren’t learned from the last tragedy,” Sani tweeted on Tuesday morning. “The trains weren’t equipped with sensors to detect explosives & the promise of the use of helicopters to protect the trains was abandoned.”

But Nigeria’s information minister Lai Mohammed said the travelling train was safe and comfortable hours before the attack.

“We are proud that in our time, Nigerians are once again able to travel by rail, this time in total comfort and safety,” Mohammed said at a press briefing on Monday.

Anas Iro Danmusa, who claimed to be on the train, said the attack started about 8:00 pm between Katari and Rijana. Rijana is about 55 kilometres south of Kaduna city.

There are no official confirmations on the number of people that died, injured or kidnapped.

But Sani said he spoke to eyewitnesses that confirmed that some passengers were killed or kidnapped.

Meanwhile, there are reports that a doctor, Chinelo Megafu, died on the train after being shot.

Megafu initially tweeted that she had been shot on the train before her death was announced hours later.

A former deputy governor of Zamfara State, Ibrahim Wakkala, was also shot in the attack, Channels TV reported.

A source told The Guardian that two officials of the Kwara State chapter of the Trade Union Congress were also shot and killed in the attack. The source said their remains have been deposited at the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna.

The military hospital is also treating persons injured in the attack.

Mr Mohammed Barau, a resident of Ungwan Rimi area of Kaduna, told the government-owned News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the whereabouts of his younger was unknown and lashed out at the government for not providing necessary information.

“By now, the government should have released a comprehensive list of people killed, those injured, as well as the number of people evacuated,” Barau told NAN.

READ MORE : Many feared abducted as terrorists attack Kaduna-bound train

“At least, when this is done, it would give us some peace of mind, but we have not heard anything yet.”

Multiple gory videos reportedly from the train are being circulated on social media.

“I just spoke with a survivor who is a civil servant working with a public Library,” Sani said.

“She narrated that the terrorists specifically targeted the Business Class coach. They kidnapped some persons including a “white man” & killed those who resisted while she pretended to be dead.”

A Kaduna State’s Commissioner, Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said in a statement that the Nigerian military was able to “successfully” secure the train and the passengers on board.

“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,” Aruwan said.

“This is to acquire an accurate inventory of all passengers and their actual status.”

In this article

• Abuja-Kaduna train attack
• Kaduna State
• Lai Mohammed
• Samuel Aruwan

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Police Officer Dies Aboard Abuja-Kaduna Train Journey

Amidst the routine journey from Kaduna to Abuja, tragedy struck as a police escort attached to the train route reportedly passed away while on duty. According to a source familiar with the incident, the officer had complained of chest pain before succumbing to the unfortunate fate.

“It was a sudden and tragic turn of events,” the source recounted. “The officer complained of chest pain, but before any medical assistance could be rendered, he had already breathed his last.” Despite efforts by a fellow passenger identified as a doctor to intervene, it was too late to save the officer’s life.

The deceased officer, described as having been in good health prior to the journey, had initially requested some glucose and water from his colleague after experiencing discomfort. However, the absence of emergency medical care facilities on the train proved to be a critical limitation. By the time a doctor among the passengers came forward to offer assistance, the officer had already passed away, leaving a somber atmosphere among the passengers.

In a poignant moment, a police team arrived at the train station in Abuja to retrieve the officer’s remains for transportation to an undisclosed location. Despite attempts to gather further information, including reaching out to Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Force Public Relations Officer, no official comments were obtainable, adding to the air of mystery surrounding the incident.

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By Gabriella Ogbu

The stark disparity in girls’ education in Nigeria has prompted First Lady Oluremi Tinubu to advocate for the education of female children. Speaking in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State, during the opening of the Alternative High Schools for Girls, she expressed her commitment to providing exceptional young girls and women with opportunities for a promising future.

Tinubu recounted her efforts dating back to 2007 when she proposed the concept of establishing an alternative high school for girls during her husband’s tenure as Lagos State governor. This initiative, which aimed to address obstacles such as unplanned pregnancies, cultural barriers, and economic constraints hindering girls’ education, is still operational today with support from the Lagos State Ministry of Education.

Highlighting the importance of education in empowering girls and enabling them to make informed decisions about their futures, Tinubu emphasized the need for alternative educational pathways to accommodate those who face challenges in traditional schooling. The establishment of the Alternative High Schools for Girls in Osun State, selected through an impartial raffle process, reflects this commitment.

Governor Ademola Adeleke assured Tinubu of his administration’s support in ensuring the success of the school. He reaffirmed his government’s dedication to advancing girls’ education and highlighted initiatives aimed at addressing issues such as sexual assault against women and economic empowerment.

Dr. Ahmed Bobboi, the Executive Secretary of Universal Basic Education, praised the efforts of the Adeleke administration in expanding and improving basic education in Osun State. He expressed confidence in the new school’s ability to achieve its goals and exceed expectations based on the government’s track record.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has convened a three-day workshop in Abuja aimed at validating data from the West African Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (WENDU) to address drug abuse issues, particularly in Sierra Leone.

ECOWAS disclosed in a statement on Thursday that the workshop, held from April 23 to 25, sought to foster cooperation, improve data quality, and empower the bloc to formulate informed policies on drug supply and demand across member states.

Sierra Leone’s declaration of a state of emergency due to widespread Kush drug use has heightened concerns, prompting the workshop to focus on tackling the crisis in the country.

The outcomes of the workshop are expected to significantly influence future actions and strengthen cooperation among member states in managing drug abuse challenges across the region.

Ms. Sarr, represented by Sintiki Tarfa Ugbe, the Director of Humanitarian and Social Affairs, underscored the importance of addressing drug-related issues regionally, with particular attention to Sierra Leone’s acute challenges.

Nigeria’s Health Minister, Muhammed Pate, echoed the workshop’s timely nature, emphasizing the need to enhance data analysis capabilities and express solidarity with Sierra Leone. He stressed the importance of developing effective policies and strategies regionally to combat drug abuse.

The Qatar Charity Organisation has announced its initiative to sponsor the education of 1,000 orphans in Borno, Nigeria.

During a courtesy visit to Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno in Maiduguri, the ambassador of the State of Qatar to Nigeria, Ali-bin Ghanem Al-Hajri, revealed this commitment on Thursday.

Mr. Al-Hajri reaffirmed Qatar’s dedication to strengthening ties with Nigeria and pledged support to Borno as it recovers from the insurgency, citing the region’s historical significance in Islamic history.

Governor Zulum expressed gratitude for Qatar’s multi-million naira project, considering it timely as the state rebuilds after 15 years of insurgency, which resulted in significant casualties and displacement.

He assured Qatar of the state government’s full cooperation in ensuring the successful implementation of humanitarian initiatives aimed at alleviating the suffering of the people.

During his visit, the ambassador conducted the ground-breaking ceremony for an orphanage school and delivered a lecture at the Nigeria Arabic Language Village in Ngala, Maiduguri.

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