For the second time since October, bandits have attacked a passenger train between Nigeria’s capital city Abuja and Kaduna, a northern city of the country, resulting in the death, capture and injury of the passengers.
What happened?
Bandits immobilized a Kaduna bound passenger train using explosives on Monday night, along the Abuja-Kaduna railway track. They proceeded to shoot sporadically at the windows of the train after failing to secure passage into the train.
A joint intervention by the Nigerian military and operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, secured the train and rescued the survivors.
What they are saying
The Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr. Samuel Aruwan said the survivors of the incident are with the appropriate authorities while they have transported those that sustained injuries and other fatalities to various hospitals in Kaduna State. According to him, the state government is working with the Nigerian Railway Corporation to compile a list of victims involved in the incident.
The Big Picture
For the second time since October 2021, Nigerian railways have suffered yet another major security breach since inception in 2016. Nigeria continues to battle terrorists in the northeast, and unknown gunmen in the north central and northwest who have normalized kidnapping, leaving the Nigerians in fear. Railway travel gained popularity following the increased reports of abduction on Nigerian highways in recent times. This incident has further crippled the little faith Nigerians have in the security agencies of the country.