Railway

Updated: Abuja-Kaduna train attack: Casualties confirmed as NRC suspends service

Published

3 years ago

March 29, 2022

Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, has confirmed there were fatalities in the Abuja-Kaduna train attacked by terrorists on Monday night.

A female young medical doctor who sustained gunshot injury was said to have died this morning.

The Nigerian Railway Corporation has announced the indefinite suspension of train operations along the Abuja-Kaduna route.

The NRC announced the suspension in a statement via its Twitter handle, @Official_NRC, on Tuesday.

“Dear passengers, due to unforeseen circumstances, train operations along the Abuja-Kaduna route has been temporarily suspended. Further Communication would be given in due course,” the statement read.

The train was attacked while on its way to Kaduna from Abuja on Monday night.
The gunmen were said to have blown up the rail track after which they launched an attack on the passengers.
It was learnt that the explosives were planted on the rail track.
According to sources, the gunmen went straight for the VIP coaches on getting into the train.
An unspecified number of passengers were said to have been injured during the attack while some others were reportedly abducted.
“The attackers went for the VIP coaches,” one source said.
“Some persons were abducted and several others with injuries.”
Another source said, “Lots of railway workers are missing and their whereabouts unknown.”

Giving an update on the incident, Aruwan said fatalities were recorded and the victims had been moved to hospitals.
“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,” Aruwan said.
“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.”
He said the governor also directed the ministry of health to be in contact with the hospitals as it will bear the cost of the victims’ treatment.
Aruwan added that the search and rescue operations are still ongoing.

Meanwhile, a young medical doctor identified as Chinelo, who tweeted that she was shot by terrorists who attacked train on Monday night, has been reported dead.
Chinelo had taken to her Twitter handle, @nelo_x to report that she had been shot by the terrorists while asking for prayers.
“I’m in the train . I have been shot please pray for me,” she had tweeted.
The lady is reported to have eventually passed away from the gunshot injuries.
Many Twitter users have expressed sadness over her death.
SamzyPR, @IamSamzyPR, said, “Here is Dr Chinelo , One of the Abuja-Kaduna train passengers who didn’t make it out alive from the Attack.
“Rest in Peace, Dr Chinelo. Nigeria happened to you!”
“Just learnt that Dr Chinelo didn’t make it. This is heartbreaking,” wrote Dr Chinonso Egemba, @aproko_doctor
“Rest in peace dear Chinelo. You don’t deserve this country.”

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Railway

NRC increases trips on Abuja-Kaduna route from four to six

Published

1 day ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

NRC increases trips on Abuja-Kaduna route from four to six

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced an increase in the number of trains on its Abuja-Kaduna Train Service (AKTS) route in response to rising demand based on its customer feedback.

A statement signed by the NRC Deputy Director of Public Relations, Yakub Mahmood, on Wednesday, said the number of trains had been increased to six from four, running Monday to Friday during peak periods.

This development, it added, aimed to enhance customer satisfaction by making commuting more convenient and accessible on the route as well as tackling complaints of ticket racketeering.

The statement quoted the acting Managing Director of the NRC, Ben Iloanusi, as saying that a five-month trend analysis revealed a 22 per cent increase in new passengers registering on the ticketing platform for the Abuja-Kaduna route.

The surge, he said, showed a growing preference among Nigerians for train travel as a comfortable, reliable, and safe commuting option.

The statement read, “The Nigerian Railway Corporation, reaffirming its commitment to responding to customer demands, improving customer satisfaction, and tackling complaints of ticket racketeering, has increased the number of train services from four to six from Monday to Friday when demand tends to peak on its AKTS route.”

The NRC also noted that similar trends had been observed on the Lagos-Ibadan, Warri-Itakpe, and Port Harcourt-Aba routes, with efforts already underway to enhance services along these routes as well.

The acting MD assured Nigerians of the increased presence of NRC senior management across all train service routes to drive continuous efficiency and tackle the issue of ticket racketeering head-on.

“Our valued customers are encouraged to use NRC ticket platforms online to take advantage of the increased services and avoid patronising ticket racketeers.

“Additional information can be obtained from the NRC website, www.nrc.gov.ng,” it stated.

The expanded services on the Abuja-Kaduna route, it said, followed similar enhancements on the Lagos-Ibadan route, which now includes additional trips on Fridays and Saturdays to accommodate increasing demand.

Railway

Nigerian railway adds extra train to Friday, Saturday trips on Lagos-Ibadan route

Published

3 days ago

November 12, 2024

Trends Admin

Nigerian railway adds extra train to Friday, Saturday trips on Lagos-Ibadan route

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced the introduction of additional train trips on its Lagos-Ibadan Train Service (LITS) route, exclusively for Fridays and Saturdays.

This initiative increases weekend trips from two to three, offering commuters greater travel flexibility.

The announcement, made via the NRC’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday, revealed that the new Lagos-to-Ibadan trip will depart at 1:40 pm, complementing the existing schedules of 7:45 am and 4:00 pm.

For the Ibadan-to-Lagos route, the additional trip is set for 10:50 am, joining the regular departures at 8:00 am and 4:30 pm.

Nigerian railway adds extra train to Friday, Saturday trips on Lagos-Ibadan route

Railway

Nigeria gets $350m AfDB facility for Kano-Maradi rail project

Published

3 weeks ago

October 28, 2024

Trends Admin

Nigeria gets $350m AfDB facility for Kano-Maradi rail project

The Federal Government of Nigeria has secured $350 million from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to fund the construction of the Kano-Maradi rail project, which will connect Kano to Maradi in Niger Republic.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Land Transport, Senator Adamu Aliero, made this disclosure on Monday during an oversight visit to the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) headquarters in Lagos, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Aliero stated that the Kano-Maradi rail project is part of the government’s broader efforts to modernize Nigeria’s railway network and enhance regional trade links.