Some gunmen suspected to be kidnappers on Thursday, January 2, reportedly attacked a train heading to Abuja from Rigasa station, Kaduna.
The Herald gathered that the gunmen were said to have attacked the Abuja bound train with guns and projectiles with a bid to stop the train.
It was also gathered that the train left the Rigasa station, Kaduna at about 10 am on Thursday only to be attacked a few kilometres to Katari which is 70Km to Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city.
Also, a passenger on the train who recounted the ordeal said the train came under “ballistic projectiles attack” However, the passenger said no one on the train was affected or hurt during the attack.
Earlier, The Herald reported that Engr Fidet Okhiria, the managing director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, described the Thursday’s morning attack on Abuja-Kaduna train by armed men suspected to be kidnappers as baseless.
It was reported that the gunmen suspected to be kidnappers attacked the Abuja bound train on Thursday. The train, which left the Rigassa train station in Kaduna at around 10 am was reportedly attacked a few kilometers to Katari, about 70 kilometres to Abuja.
Reacting to the incident, Okhiria said: “This news was not correct. We are assuring train passengers of their safety. The trains remain the safest and cheapest alternative to the road mode.”
Okhiria said he had been inundated with calls since the news went viral on the social media. Quoting police sources, Okhiria said what happened was that a stone was thrown at the train by some boys, which according to him only affected the window glass of coach SP4.
The further stated that the situation was promptly arrested by police escorts on the train who restored calm before the train continued its journey and passengers disembarked peacefully at the Idu Station in Abuja without any other incident.