Kaduna’s Great Train Hijack, Hours After It’s Airport Was Overrun By Overrated Northern Bandits
The Oasis Reporters
March 29, 2022
Whenever it comes to the topic of banditry, Northern Nigeria can push it’s chest out and thump it. They know it, and yes, their style is elevated.
Many Nigerians watched the video clip of an armada of human bandits riding motorbikes stroll casually onto the tarmac of Kaduna airport, the same Kaduna that is the home of the famed mafia and the hugest military establishments.
But today, the city lies comatose in defeat as bandits who have made its roads dangerous to travel on, have now moved to make the airport in the most significant northern Nigerian city a risky venture to go to.
A helpless plane pilot could not take off, but must wait and video the escapades of northern bandits strutting their stuff on the tarmac.
Hours after, the bandits attacked a train in motion by first, blowing up the rail tracks with bombs.
One of the passengers on board the ill-fated train that was attacked in Kaduna on Monday has said some persons were abducted, and have thus become guests of bandits in the bush.
UPDATE from a passenger onboard the terrorist hijacked Abuja-Kaduna train pic.twitter.com/AYxLf8DLty
— Maybeks (@Maybeks) March 28, 2022
Indeed, not all passengers can sing the song of safety, going by this tweet from ex Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani:
Saying all the passengers are safe is not true.
— Senator Shehu Sani (@ShehuSani) March 28, 2022
The train had taken off from Abuja around 6pm and was derailed after the rail track was bombed between Dutse and Kakau.
“Terrorists have bombed Kaduna-Abuja rail track
Gunshots were fired but we are now safe”, tweeted a passenger on the attacked train.
“There are six people we have counted with bullet wounds, there maybe more but so far this is what I can confirm. Security agents are trying to get them medical attention,” a passenger later said to the press.
“We also learnt that the bandits forced their way into some coaches and have abducted some people.”
“Currently we are all lying down flat and Security forces have started converging to drive the terrorists away. We are grateful to be safe and not harmed,” a passenger had said.
Another passenger, Anas Iron Danmusa, has been quoted by Daily Trust newspapers as saying that the explosives planted by the terrorists ‘destroyed’ the engine of their train.
He said, “As at 8pm, we were just lying on the seats of the train praying. The gunmen were shooting sporadically around Katari-Rijana area.”
In a statement, Samuel Aruwan, Kaduna state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, said security agencies had secured the train trapped by terrorists.
“The Kaduna State Government received multiple reports of an attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train service at around Kateri-Rijana general areas.
“Relevant action agencies were urgently contacted, and robust deployments of personnel were swiftly made to the area to secure the passengers on board.
“Efforts are ongoing to convey the passengers from the location and others that sustained injuries have been rushed to hospitals for urgent medical attention.
“The Government of Kaduna State will be liaising with the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to ascertain the list from the passengers’ manifest for efficient tracking.”
Exasperated Nigerians are asking the president of the country, retired Major General Muhammadu Buhari to deploy the legendary skills he used in driving back Chadian rebels in the 80s, to push out the bandits.
Additional credits:
Twitter
Daily Trust
APC government please do something before you leave office. The state of the nation is becoming unbearable.