NRC, Police Deny Armed Bandits Attacked Abuja-Kaduna Train

The Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC, has denied reports that bandits attacked a Kaduna-bound train between Asham and Kubwa on Monday afternoon.

Fidel Okhiria, managing director of NRC, who made the denial in a statement today, said the reports were false.

Rather, hoodlums who usually throw heavy stones at the moving train along Abuja-Kaduna route were responsible for the ugly incident.

He said: “There was no bandit attack on the train; it’s just a rumour otherwise, they will have seen bullet all over the train.

”It was hoodlums who threw stones at the train and because the Police got one suspect, at night, more hoodlums came out to attack the train in protest against the arrest made in the afternoon.

“NRC has, however, spoken to security agencies to help us prevent such future occurrences and intervene in the matter, so they will know how best to deal with the situation.”

The attack has heightened fears among travellers on the route. To reduce the risk of being kidnapped or attacked by robbers, not a few commuters between Kaduna and Abuja have taken to the use of trains.

Even so, the NRC boss has urged the public using the trains not to panic, as the Minister of Transportation and NRC would ensure the safety of Nigerians on that route.

Also, Paschal Nnoli, manager, Abuja-Kaduna Train Service, dispelled fears as he said the train arrived at Idu station on schedule yesterday.

“The attention of Nigerian Railway Corporation has been drawn to fake online news that the KA4 train from Kaduna to Abuja was attacked on Monday by armed bandits between Asham and Kubwa.

“This news is false. In between Asham and Kubwa sections, some hoodlums threw stones and broke the windscreen of our locomotive.

” The crew and armed police escort went after them, the train, however, continued its trip down to Idu,” he said.

Although the Police in Kaduna corroborated the NRC position, it said one person was wounded in the incident.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, quoted the Command Public Relations Officer, ASP Mohammed Jalige, as saying that some miscreants threw stones at the moving train around Rijana village, close to Kaduna.

“It was not a bullet or bow and arrow, what they threw are not aggressive weapons. It was not an attack, the train was moving. Our men in Rijana are on top of the situation,” he added.

He assured that a thorough investigation would be conducted and anyone found to be involved in the incident would be punished.

“So far no suspect has been arrested but our men have been deployed in the area to trail the suspects,” Jalige said.

Reports indicated that a group of young men attacked the train at about 7:30 am as it made its way to Kaduna yesterday at a spot between Jere and Gidan Crossing, shattering a glass window of one of the coaches with the flying glasses hitting a female passenger who suffered minor injury.

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