Passengers and crew on an Abuja-bound train from Kaduna State, North West Nigeria, have escaped death by the whiskers as their train was reportedly attacked on Monday night by suspected bandits.
This happened few hours after bandits attacked 26 officers of Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in the same region, killing 2 officers, injuring 4 and abducting 10.
Chairman of the National Union of Journalist, Abuja Council, Emmanuel Ogbeche, who, on his Facebook page, announced the attack on the moving train, shared an eyewitness accounts on how the passengers escaped a crossfire (exchange of gunshots) between the bandits and police officers on board.
It reads, “Train from Kaduna was attacked a few minutes ago by armed bandits who barricaded the tracks and fired repeatedly at the engine driver who luckily was protected by the bullet proof glass.
“Police men on board exchanged fire with the bandits. Allowing passengers and crew to get out and clear the tracks.
“Alhamdulilah the Train has now left the scene heading to Kubuwa.
“The cage that’s now Abuja is tightening around us while the Government and her security agencies tell us there is no cause for alarm. Ya Allah ka rufa mana asiri.”
The bandits, according to an eyewitness, barricaded the rail track in a bid to stop the train and possibly rob the travellers on board.
The assailants were said to have shot repeatedly toward the driver of the train, but could not get at him due to the bullet proof glass protecting him.
