Following the explosion that rocked the railway track of the Abuja to Kaduna corridor, the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) has suspended train services along the route indefinitely.
The managing director of the NRC, Engr. Fidet Okhiria, who confirmed the attack, said the explosives damaged the rail tracks somewhere between Dutse and Rijana.
According to him, “there was an explosive on our rail track somewhere around Rijana and Dutse last night, and this damaged the tracks.
“Efforts are currently ongoing to ensure that the train services along the Kaduna-Abuja route are fully restored,”
The NRC had in a statement on its website, said the services were suspended for the safety of passengers and crew members.
The statement added that efforts were being put in place to ensure absolute safety along the route and further information concerning the suspension will be conveyed to the public shortly.
However, LEADERSHIP investigations revealed that the NRC noticed the threat earlier on in the week on Tuesday after the train crushed two masked men to death on the corridor.
One of the senior staff of the Corporation who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the the train heading to Kaduna crushed the men when they were engaged in some activities on the track two days ago.
Also, a former lawmaker, who represented Kaduna Central in the Senate, Senator Shehu Sani, posted on his social media handles that “bandits attacked the Kaduna-Abuja train.They planted an explosive that damaged the rail track and shattered the windshield of the train engine.They also opened fire, targeting the driver and the tank. It happened between Dutse and Rijana stations.The Driver struggled to move towards Kaduna Rigasa station.
“This early morning, I was on board when our train ran over another explosive damaging railings.The train nearly skid off its path then we miraculously escaped.
“All Kaduna Abuja train operations need to be suspended for today until this issue is addressed.”
Credit: Leadership