Bandits Killed, Abduct Passengers In Abuja-Kaduna Train Attack

A train conveying passengers from Abuja to Kaduna has been attacked by gunmen suspected to be bandits in Kaduna State.

Many passengers are feared injured while several others were said to have been kidnapped by the assailants.

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The bandits reportedly attacked the train around Dutse axis in Kaduna, just a few kilometres to the Rigasa Train Station in Igabi Local Government Area of the state.

One of the passengers on the train told Arabella that the bandits bombed the train track with an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) which forced the train to derail.

Upon the stoppage of the train, the assailants were said to have begun to fire gunshots sporadically.

He added that the terrorists later forced their way into the train and kidnapped an unspecified number of people, with some others feared killed.

Meanwhile, troops have been mobilised to the scene of the attack to rescue the remaining passengers.

A passenger on the train wrote this on Facebook “Please this is an emergency. We are inside train at the moment. Kidnappers planted explosives and the train engines have been ruined. We are helpless. Abuja to Kaduna train. Gunshots still being fired right around us. We are just under the seats praying to God while waiting for help. Since 8pm we hv bn here. Btw Katari to Rijana. I am a living witness…”.

After few minutes, army personnel have arrived at the scene of the attack.

Authorities are yet to provide information on the number of passengers involved in the incident but the train was believed to be carrying over 900 passengers.

The attackers were said to have abducted an unknown number of people during the assault on the train in a remote location with poor telecommunications connection.