The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) Sunday confirmed the safety of 170 passengers aboard the Abuja-Kaduna train attacked by terrorists last Monday.
The corporation also said 21 others were still missing.
Managing Director NRC Fidet Okhiria said this in a statement issued Sunday, a copy of which was obtained by Blueprint in Abuja.
The tragic incident occurred March 28 at the Kateri-Rijana area of Kaduna state.
The corporation also said seven coaches were recovered while efforts were on towards restoring normalcy in its services to the teeming customers.
Okhiria said: “From the last release, we confirmed that four Coaches (SP 00004, SP00009, SP00012 and SP00013) out of the 11 Coaches involved in the incident have been re-railed and safely moved to Rigasa Station while work is ongoing on track repairs.
“We did also state that 170 of the passengers on board the train are safe while 21 other passengers are reported missing.
“At the end of work on Saturday evening (02/04/2022) the NRC’s restoration team has further re-railed four more Coaches and two of the coaches (SP 00007 and SP 00013) had been safely moved to Idu and Rigasa Stations respectively.
“The other two coaches are still at the site due to damaged tracks. This brings the total coaches so far re-railed to 7, but only 5 successfully moved to the stations.
“However, efforts are on to link the track, at the moment, a total of 80 meters of the affected section has been fixed including replacement of affected sleepers and twisted rails.”
Okhira condoles with relations of those who lost their loved ones and prayed for the repose of their souls.
Similarly, the management sympathised “with the injured passengers and indeed everyone on board the AK9 train of Monday 28, for the trauma this unfortunate incident had caused them.”
He was full of gratitude to the security agencies, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Police, and NSCDC, among others, for their support and cooperation.
Specifically, he lauded Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Baba Alkali for his support and visit to the accident site, which he said, boosted their morale.
Okhiria assured of the corporation’s readiness to keep Nigerians abreast of development to guide against misleading information and falsehood.
Kebbi captives
In a related development, the people of Udaci village in Kanya district of Danko/Wasagu local government area of Zuru Emirate in Kebbi state have cried out over the non-release of their loved ones by bandits despite paying a N10milllion ransom.
Speaking to Blueprint in a telephone interview, spokesperson of the Udaci community, Malam Garba Indi Udaci, said although the security situation in the area had improved, but those held captive by the bandits were yet to be freed.
“All what I will tell you is what I saw happening live with my two eyes opened and in a broad day light. We just saw these bandits numbering about two hundred on motorcycles and ordered everybody to gather at the town centre, including women and children.
“They said we should declare anything, money or any valuable item including jewelleries, animals and food items, yet after the ransacked us, they matched away with over 25 people, including pregnant and breast-feeding mothers,” he said.
Garba further added that a day after the kidnap, the bandits called the community demanding N25million as ransom to secure the release of their people.
He said the community was left with no option than to raise the little they could and finally bargained for N10million which was paid to the bandits.
“So they collected this whopping sum from us and still refused to let those in captivity go while demanding for additional ten million naira and two hundred thousand naira recharge card, we are financially broke and had nothing to offer again,” he lamented.
Garba said two of his younger brothers were amongst those kidnapped.
In a reaction, spokesman of the Kebbi state Police Command, SP Nafiu Abubakar, said the command was not aware of such development and asked the community to hold the middle man responsible.
ACF tasks FG
Meanwhile, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has called on the federal government and security agencies to go all out in total war against terror and all forms of insecurity to rid the country of threats to lives and properties.
According to the pan-northern socio-cultural organisation, the spate of insecurity, bandits’ attacks on airport, train, roads and in various northern communities had made it imperative to rid the country of all forms of terror and ensure lasting solution to security challenges across the country, hence the need to deploy full military might to crush the terrorists.
ACF Secretary General Malam Murtala Aliyu (Matawallen Gombe) said this in a statement on Sunday.
Aliyu said: “The new dimension of the terror attacks, in the country, both on human and infrastructure calls for total war. The authorities may look at the possibility of utilising volunteers, such as the ex-servicemen and women, the civilian task forces, hunters and whatever is available to make every inch of Nigeria habitable and peaceful.
“We must appreciate the responsibility bestowed on us by providence as the largest black nation and as a leader on our continent must do everything within our powers to keep Nigeria stable and strong. The security of the country rests on the central government and calls for cursory, calm, implementable and lasting solution. It emphasised that invitation of foreign forces or mercenaries to fight our course must be treated with utmost caution.
“On the proposition to escort trains from Abuja to Kaduna, Ibadan to Lagos or the Itakpe routes, by the Nigerian Airforce, the Forum calls on the security agency to redesign their operations and instead deploy their machinery and manpower in launching attacks on the bandits and terrorists enclaves. Dedicating such operations to only railway lines, shall make air and road users more vulnerable to such attacks.
“The Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, calls on the entire Muslims, Christians and all religions, to embark on prayers towards the sustainance of peace and tranquility in the North and the country in general. The Forum wishes the various religions utilise the entire holy month of Ramadhan and the Easter period, in addition to, at least all Sundays and Fridays of the months of April and May, as sober period to atone our sins and pray for mercy from our Creator.
“Nigeria, most especially the Northern states, could not be said to be in the state of tranquillity that warrants development. The entire country cries of peace. This calls for sober reflection and absolute return to our Creator for repentance.
“The ACF calls on the leadership of our political parties to structure their manifestos to address our challenges and refocus our psyche towards the peaceful growth and development of the country and not the current race for the sake of power or material gains. The holistic submission on the failure of governance, as attested by our governors, is an indication that all is not well in the nooks and corners of the territory call Nigeria.
“We have no other territory than this, so also a country but Nigeria. The survival of the country therefore must be paramount and lives and property of citizens, law and order and freedom of expression must be protected. The Arewa Consultative Forum appreciate the frustration of leaders at sub-national level, however we call on the governments, governors and citizens alike, to avoid any fire brigade approach on any pressing issue that bedevilling the country.”