From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
A survivor of the bombed Abuja-Kaduna bound train gave a vivid view if how terrorists operated on the train, saying that the terrorists came with a bus and abducted VIPs from the business class of the train.
The train was attacked on Monday by terrorists with some passengers reported killed and others abducted at 8.pm.
However, the survivor who did not want his name mentioned in print said, “The terrorists had access to the train and kidnapped people. They came with a bus to pick people from the business class. There are casualties in the train”.
A sympathiser also spoke about the incident, saying, “I didn’t even know I had a friend on the train. Passengers arrived kaduna around 1.30am this morning. The person sitting beside my friend was killed . Right now friend is so traumatised such that she can’t even sleep or allow her husband to leave her in the room alone.
My friend’s story is one of confusion, mayhem and death. She told me that the bandits accessed the train, killed many and took some away. To get home, they had to trek through the bushes, over hills to the road”.
Meanwhile, evacuation of trapped train passengers was concluded Tuesday morning by security forces.
A statement by the Kaduna State Commissioner for internal security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan said, “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.
“Governor Nasir El-Rufai who commended all those who participated in the evacuation, appealed to the hospitals to attend to the victims diligently.
“The Governor also directed the Ministry of Health to be in contact with the hospitals as government will bear the cost of their treatment.
“As of the time of this update, search-and-rescue operations are in progress”.
