…As Names of Some Victims Released
Some passengers in the ill dated Abuja-Kaduna train attack have been reportedly killed.
They include food vendors, one of the train drivers, a young medical doctor identified as Chinelo and cleaners at the train station.
According to reports, Eight persons have been confirmed dead while 16 persons were injured and taken to hospital for treatment.
The names of the injured are, Haruna Muhammed; Mohammed Modibo; Ibrahim Wakili; Yakubu Nuhu; Abdulahi Yahaya; Ismail Saidu; Abdumalik Rasheedat; Umar Mohammed.
Others are Hadiza Umar; Musa Ishawan; Aisha Yusuf; Mohammed Ameen; Abubakar Hauwau; Aliyu Sulaiman; Olaosebikan Bilikisu and Leola Abdulbasit.
The terrorists on Monday night had attacked the train which was conveying passengers to Kaduna from Abuja.
The gunmen were said to have blown up the rail tracks after which they launched an attack on the passengers.
Sources who spoke to a popular online medium, said 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. Some persons were abducted and several others with injuries.”
Another source who spoke to the medium said, “Lots of railway staff are missing. Their bodies were not found among the dead and their whereabouts unknown.”
In the meantime, the government of Kaduna State has confirmed that fatalities were recorded during the attack.
Samuel Aruwan, the state commissioner for internal security disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.
The names of the hospitals where the injured persons were taken to for treatment were not mentioned.
“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,” he 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.”
Aruwan said Governor Nasir El-Rufai commended those who participated in the evacuation and 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, noting that the government would bear the cost of treatment.
“As of the time of this update, search-and-rescue operations are in progress,” he added.
