The Nigeria Railway Corporation has halted services on the Abuja-Kaduna route, confirming that a section of the train track near Rijana and Dutse in Kaduna State was bombed on Wednesday.
Fidet Okhiria, the NRC’s Managing Director, confirmed the blast to The PUNCH on Thursday, saying that services on the route had to be paused in order to conduct full investigations.
Shehu Sani, a former Senator from Kaduna State, had earlier claimed on his verified Twitter account that bandits had assaulted a train on the Abuja-Kaduna route on Wednesday.
Fidet Okhiria, the NRC’s Managing Director, confirmed the blast to The PUNCH on Thursday, saying that services on the route had to be paused in order to conduct full investigations.
Shehu Sani, a former Senator from Kaduna State, had earlier claimed on his verified Twitter account that bandits had assaulted a train on the Abuja-Kaduna route on Wednesday.
Sani said “Yesterday (Wednesday) terrorists attacked the Kaduna-Abuja railway with an explosive and opened fire on the train, targeting the engine driver and the tank.
“This (Thursday) morning, I was onboard when our train ran over another explosive damaged rail.”
In response, Okhiria told Punch correspondent that a bomb occurred at the site, rupturing the track and prompting the firm to shut down operations.
He said, “There was an explosion but until the team that is investigating the matter comes with its report we cannot confirm whether it is a bomb or not. But there was a blast.
“Operations have been stopped for today in order to do proper inspection and we hope that before the end of the day we would have done the needful.”
Okhiria, on the other hand, denied that gunfire were fired at the train driver and the railway’s tank.
“There was nothing like that. Only an explosive that went up on the track. Are you aware that we even ran a train service this morning?” he stated.
Before Okhiria’s response, Paschal Nnorli, the Abuja/Kaduna Train Service Station Manager, had verified that the train had been attacked, but could not say whether it had been with an explosive.
“Yes, there was an attack, but right now I cannot confirm if it was an explosive or bomb attack as people are saying,” he said.
Nnorli added, “Investigations are ongoing and I’ll give you updates as they come in. Our engineers have been mobilised to the area. And right now we have suspended services.”
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