Barely hours after the news of explosion that rocked the railway track along the Abuja-Kaduna corridor broke, the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced immediate suspension of train services along the route indefinitely.
The corporation’s managing director, Engr. Fidet Okhiria, who confirmed the attack, said the explosives damaged the rail tracks somewhere between Dutse and Rijana station.
He explained: “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”, he assured.
The NRC had stated on its website that the services were suspended for the safety of passengers and crew members.
The corporation promised that efforts were being put in place to ensure passengers’ safety along the route and that update on the suspension would be conveyed to the public shortly.
BRTNews.ng reliably gathered that one of the trains on its way to Kaduna crushed two masked men to death when they were engaged in some activities on the track on the corridor sometime on Tuesday
Reacting to the mishap, former lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, who claimed to be aboard the attacked train, posted on his social media handles that “bandits attacked the Kaduna-Abuja train.
He further clarified: “They planted an explosive that damaged the rail track and shattered the windshield of the train engine. They also opened fire, targeting the driver and the tank. It happened between Dutse and Rijana stations. The Driver struggled to move towards Kaduna Rigasa station.
“This early morning, I was on board when our train ran over another explosive damaging railings. The train nearly skid off its path then we miraculously escaped. All Kaduna Abuja train operations need to be suspended for today until this issue is addressed”, the Senator added.
