Bandits bomb Abuja-Kaduna train

Armed bandits on Wednesday reportedly bombed a train travelling between Abuja and Kaduna, inflicting technical damages on the country’s major rail infrastructure.
Former Senator Shehu Sani said a train he rode between Kaduna and Abuja on Thursday morning nearly derailed because of an explosive that damaged a section of the tracks.
Mr Sani, in a telephone exchange with Peoples Gazette over the incident, said the bandits were targeting the trains in order to dispose of passengers of their cash and other valuable possessions. He also said the attackers opened fire on the train driver.
A spokesman for the Nigerian Railway in Abuja did not immediately return a request seeking comments on Thursday morning.


Bandits have repeatedly targeted the railway between the nation’s capital and the key northern city, which has become the preferred route for passengers seeking to avoid the perilous three-hour journey by road.
The deadly gangs have raided military bases and shot down at least one reconnaissance jet of the Nigerian Air Force. Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported that the military paid a ransom to the bandits to prevent President Muhammadu Buhari’s plane from being shot down.
The president has repeatedly vowed to be ruthless against the attackers largely responsible for widespread abduction and plunder of communities across Nigeria’s northwestern region.
But security agencies are warning that the gangs are becoming more armed with sophisticated combat equipment that would make it more difficult to defeat them.
We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.
More from Peoples Gazette

Agriculture
FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology
The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices

Politics
Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku
“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”

Education
UNICEF praises Nigerian government for rescuing kidnapped Oriire schoolchildren
UNICEF has commended the Nigerian government for rescuing 39 abducted schoolchildren and five teachers in Oyo state.

States
Yobe governor to spend N73 billion on agric empowerment, other projects
The Yobe government has approved N73.3 billion for various projects and services in the state.

Showbiz
Five things Nigerians need to know about FG’s FreeTV
The federal government has launched FreeTV, a subscription-free digital television platform designed to expand access to television services for millions of Nigerians.

Hot news Home top
South Africa’s Du Plessis, Nigeria’s Usman face off in UFC showdown in Oklahoma
The middleweight main event takes place at the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Fight Night in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.

Africa
UK sanctions 11 people, entities linked to illicit gold networks fuelling Sudan’s war
London said the sanctions are intended to disrupt networks using Sudan’s gold trade to finance the conflict.

Africa
Eleven children killed, 19 injured in Algeria orphanage fire
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune described the tragedy as a huge loss.Â





