Bank of Agriculture MD feared abducted during attack on Abuja-Kaduna train
Acting Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), Alwan Hassan has been unreachable since the attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train.
According to report , Hassan was last seen boarding the Kaduna-bound train that was attacked on Monday.
Gunmen had attacked the train which was on its way to Kaduna from Abuja.
The gunmen were said to have blown up the rail track after which they launched an attack on the passengers.
Several persons including one of the train drivers, food vendors, and cleaners were reportedly killed in the attack.
Following the incident, a picture of Hassan was circulated on social media platforms, especially WhatsApp.
The caption accompanying the image reads: “Alwan Hassan has been kidnapped at Kaduna Train Crisis…We solicit for your prayers.”
An official of BOA’s corporate communications department said Hassan has not been reachable since the incident happened.
“We are not so sure if he has been kidnapped. Yes, he was on that train. But we have not heard anything from him,” the official said.
Although the official death toll is yet to be determined , reports said several passengers were killed in the attack.
Seven passengers have died after gunmen attacked a busy train between Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, and Kaduna city, hospital sources have told the BBC.
The gang mined the track forcing the train, carrying 970 passengers, to a stop on Monday evening.
Gunmen subsequently surrounded the carriages and opened fire, one passenger told the BBC.
An unknown number of passengers were abducted from the train, considered the safest way to get between the cities.
Kidnapping for ransom has become commonplace across Nigeria.
The Abuja-Kaduna highway is one of the most dangerous roads in the country as kidnappers have been known to have ambushed vehicles at several points along the expressway.
