Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Farouk Yahaya, has visited the site of the Abuja-Kaduna train attack which took place on Monday night.
Army spokesperson, Onyema Nwachukwu, made this known in a statement on Tuesday.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how bandits planted explosives on the train track and immobilised it around Kateri and Rijana at about 8 p.m.
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation NRC), Fidet Okhiria, also confirmed the attack but said details were still sketchy.
“We have confirmed the attack, but we cannot give you much information right now.
“From the reports we have gotten, most of the passengers have gone into hiding and the officials on board are yet to give us a report of the situation.”
In the statement by the army, Mr Yahaya’s visit was to assess the security situation in the area and to evaluate the damage on the immobilised train.
He was accompanied by some principal staff officers at the Army Headquarters and the General Officer Commanding 1 Division.
Read full statement:
COAS ON ASSESSMENT VISIT TO SCENE OF KADUNA-ABUJA TRAIN ATTACK… Orders troops to intensity Search and Rescue Operations, Hunt down terrorists
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS)Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya has today 29 March 2022 visited the scene of Kaduna – Abuja train attack. The COAS, who was accompanied by some principal staff officers of the Army Headquarters and the General Officer Commanding 1 Division, on arrival at scene, assessed the security situation around the general area of the attack and inspected the attacked train, as well as the rail track to evaluate the degree of damage.
He ordered the troops of the NA and other security agencies to intensify their search and rescue operations to ensure that the kidnapped victims are rescued unconditionally.
The COAS has also assured Nigerians that the troops will be undeterred and vehement in the fight against banditry and other forms of criminality.
He urged members of the surrounding communities and all Nigerians to continue to avail troops with credible information to enhance their operations across the country. Gen Yahaya observed that the attack reverberates the need for critical stakeholders to review the security of railways across the country in order to achieve the desired security architecture for railway transportation.
ONYEMA NWACHUKWU
Brigadier General
Director Army Public Relations
29 March 2022
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