Military confirm 7 dead, 29 abducted in Abuja-Kaduna train attack by terrorists, brief Buhari at State House

29 passengers have been confirmed as abducted, as seven others were killed out of the over 900 on board the train shuttle bombed by terrorists, Monday night, en route Kaduna from Abuja.

Service Chiefs, led by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, Tuesday afternoon, briefed President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday night’s attack on an Abuja-Kaduna train which resulted in the scores of injured passengers with who sustained gunshot wounds.

The Service Chiefs, who had earlier visited the scene of the attack on a train in Kaduna, arrived at the Presidential Villa around Tuesday afternoon.

They briefed the President on their on the spot assessment of the unfortunate incident that happened on Monday night.

Addressing State House Correspondents shortly after their closed door meeting with President Buhari, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Irabor said 29 passengers were abducted by the terrorists in the attack on the train.

“We have come to brief the President regarding the unfortunate incident of yesterday, where some criminals, bandits had gone to lay improvised explosive devices on the rail tracks and a passenger train was demobilised and seven Nigerians  were killed, 29 others wounded and some were kidnapped and we are yet to establish the exact number.

“So we went to the scene this morning, inspected the entire area and gave out instructions on what is to be done and we have come to brief the President on this development.”

The Defence Chief said security agencies would build on the lessons they have learnt from the latest incident.

He assured Nigerians that the military and other security agencies would not rest on their oars until everywhere is secured.

“The challenge of insecurity is a constant one and so the defence and security agencies need to be on their toes 24/7. This is unfortunate and we believe that the lessons out of this are what we need to build upon going forward.

“I can perhaps use this opportunity and reassure the nation  that based on the President’s directive, we will take every necessary action, not just to apprehend those behind this dastardly act, but for them to also face justice.

“Going forward, certainly there will be greater security for the nation and I will like to urge everybody to go about their normal duties,” he said.

Already, Gen Irabor further added that he has ordered the troops of the Nigerian Army to liaise with other security agencies to intensify their search and rescue operations to ensure that the kidnapped victims of Abuja-Kaduna train are rescued unconditionally.

The Kaduna State Government which also confirmed the attack in a statement, Tuesday, signed by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, however, did not state the number of death recorded but said dead victims and those injured had been taken to hospitals. The names of the hospitals were not mentioned either.

“Evacuation of passengers on the trapped Kaduna-bound train from Abuja has been concluded this morning by security forces, officials of Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and Nigerian Red Cross.

“Passengers who sustained injuries, and other fatalities, have been moved to hospitals. The passengers were evacuated from different hard-to-reach areas in forests and rocky locations in Audujongom, off the Kaduna-Abuja Road.

“As stated yesterday, the Kaduna State Government is still liaising with the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to ascertain the list from the passengers manifest for efficient tracking,” said Aruwan.

Some family members of passengers aboard the Kaduna-bound train attacked on Monday say they are yet to know the fate of their relatives.

The family members who thronged the Rigasa Railway station in Kaduna on Tuesday, said they were yet to establish contact, 14 hours after the tragic incident.

They therefore appealed to the state government to come to their aid to relieve them of the apprehension they were passing through.

Mr Mohammed Barau, a resident of Ungwan Rimi area of Kaduna, said he was at the train station to have an update regarding the incident, adding that his younger brother was in the train attacked.

“We called his line several times without response, until later his friend seated with him in the train picked and told us that my brother left his phone on the seat, and that he did not know his where-about.

“When we later tried to call again, the phone was switched off, and when we called the friend, he was not picking,” Barau said.

He then urged the government to come up with a comprehensive list that would give the public a sense of relief.

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

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

Also, Miss Lami Gombo, a resident of Kudenden, in Kaduna, said she was yet hear from her brother, who was on board the train.

“His telephone lines are switched off; we have been to the Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, but did not see him there.

“The development is worrisome; the entire family is confused as to whether our brother is still alive, dead, or had been kidnapped,” she said.

A staff of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, who was also in the ill-fated train, said some of the passengers had fled into the bush for safety when the incident occurred.

“Nobody can ascertain whether passengers were kidnaped or not, but the pandemonium must have caused a lot of people to run into the bush to safeguard their lives,” said the staff, who did not want his name mentioned.

The Kaduna-bound train, which left Abuja 6pm on Monday, was attacked by suspected terrorists around 7.45 pm, with just 15 minutes drive left for it to arrive Kaduna.

Kaduna State Commissioner for Home Affairs and Internal Security, Mr Samuel Aruwan, on Tuesday said the train had been secured by military personnel, and that government had evacuated passenger on board the train.

He said staff of Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (KADSEMA) and Nigeria Red Cross, Kaduna chapter, conducted the evacuation.

Meanwhile, train service including other business activities at the Rigasa Railway station, Kaduna, had been grounded as a result of the incident.

The terrorist had reportedly planted explosives believed to be IEDs on the rail track around Katari, Kaduna state which caused the Kaduna-bound train to derail from track.

It was gathered that the train which took off around 6 pm from the Idu train station at the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja on Monday hit an explosive device about 30 minutes to Rigasa train station in Kaduna.