By OUR REPORTER, Kaduna
Update from Monday night train attack in Kaduna, North West Nigeria has revealed that the nation, state and citizens still have reason to be grateful to God, government and the security forces in the country, as it was said that the situation looked more like the terrorists set out to really wreck a heavier calamity on the nation but were cut short by the military and the police.
An information we cannot push aside is the fact that recent alert by the Department of State Service (DSS) played a role in the minimisation of the collateral damages that would have occurred as, it was gathered, all security forces using the intelligence report had kept eyes on critical national assets like they had done to populated areas.
A careful study showed that the terrorist attacks were premeditated and calculated as the attackers, most likely as it looked, planned for them and laid in wait for arrival of the train. But it would have been more disastrous if not for the timely response of the mobile policemen attached to the train and the immediate reinforcement provided by military, The DEFENDER reports.
The 6pm train was said to have departed the station in Abuja enroute Kaduna having on board the coaches several passengers across classes: first class, business class and economy class.
Bandits in their large number, who were said to have planted explosives on the rail tract at a Rijana bush side in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, just before the last station to disembark and every passenger would have alighted and go their different ways.
It was as the train rode on those explosives that they exploded thereby derailing it and then providing the opportunity for the criminal agents to further rain gun attacks on the train with sporadic shootings.
At that point, the mobile policemen attached to the train rose to the situation and engaged the criminals although with, reportedly, caution so as not to exhaust their ammunition.
But at that point, also, military troops of One Division, led by the General Officer Commanding (GOC), had mobilised to the scene of crime and also engaged the terrorist elements, who, because of superior fire power of the combined security forces, retreated and fled.
The DEFENDER’s ears-on-the-ground findings revealed that the few, who were whisked away, were those that had earlier been removed from the train by the bandits and put inside their “satanic” cars they brought to the scene while waiting for the arrival of the train. They would have been saved as there was timely security response.
We also gathered that seven persons that died, among who gave up later at the hospital due to injuries sustained, were those hit by the sporadic gunshots by the terrorists. Largely, the security forces were able to minimise what could have been collateral damage on the 1,000-passenger train to what it turned out to be.
From our findings, the intelligence departments across the forces including the Department of State Services (DSS), which only a week back had alerted about a plan to wreck havoc in parts of the country, are as we report down to the earth in ensuring success both on finding the terrorists anywhere their hideouts are in Kaduna and its environs and rescuing the abducted victims including the Managing Director of Bank of Agriculture (BoA), Alhaji….
In the meantime, sources, who spoke to The DEFENDER on the incident, have given a position that, in spite of everything, showed improved security, adding that the machine used by the terrorists could only have been suppressed by higher caliber equipment, which the military brought to bear on them and for which reason they fled.
Unfortunately, however, few of the passengers fell to it but, compared to 1,000-seat capacity train, many that appreciated the timely response of the security forces were saying that the criminal elements, who had already effectively derailed the train to a stop, would have had the free time swooping on the train – all coaches almost concurrently – and that they had enough vehicles on the ground to contain their victims no matter the number.
One of them, who would naturally not want to be mentioned for security reason reason, said:
“My pain grew at the incident but subsided at seeing the response that the military and the mobile policemen gave to the situation. It really saved the situation because those devils did not look like they came with mercy for anyone. It would have been total but the military and police minimised what could now be regretted as collateral damage to the nation. May Allah bless the souls of the departed and heal us who were injured,” he said.
Another source said, “If not for the planted explosives that derailed the train, it would have still drive to a safer stopping point while security would have been well stationed to prevent attacks as against when it happened in the bush. But the security still made it to that bush, waoh! It is commendable and is still a good news, although about seven persons died, that the calamity was minimised by our security forces.
“I gathered that mobile policemen attached to the train actually engaged the bandits and that immediately troops of One Division led by their GOC made it to the place and also engaged them leading to how many passengers but seven (that died) were saved although few were able to have been whisked away by the bandits who laid along the rail line just before the last station that everybody would have alighted safely and go their different ways.
“What is also good here is that combined forces of the military and the Nigerian police actually rose to the situation. Casualty would have been more disastrous,” the respondent said.
In the meantime, some of the victims of the attack have been admitted and are receiving treatments at hospitals including that of the Nigerian Army in Kaduna.
It is not yet clear how many persons were injured but the attacked train had the capacity to convey more than 1,000 passengers meaning that the Nigerian Railways Corporation management is expected to provide the manifest and account for the passengers per the ill-fated trip.
Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, on Tuesday visited some of the victims receiving treatment at the hospitals.
The governor was accompanied by the heads of security agencies stationed in the state.
Amongst those injured is the former Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, Ibrahim Wakkala who is also receiving treatment in one of the hospitals the governor visited.
Governor El-Rufai spoke to the former Zamfara Deputy Governor, who sustained gunshot wounds in Monday’s terrorist attack on the Kaduna-bound train.
The Inspector General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, and top officials of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, visited the site of the terrorist attack.
The two service chiefs were received by the General Officer Commanding One Division of the Nigerian Army along the Kaduna-Abuja highway.
Also, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya, visited the scene of the Abuja-Kaduna train attack.
He was accompanied by some principal staff officers of the Army Headquarters and the General Officer Commanding, One Division, on arrival at the scene.
He 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.
In the meantime, a call has gone to Nigerians to choose to support the security forces and not condemn them because, according to the call, it was still because of the effort of security that the situation was not total.
“What the Nigerian Army and other military forces need is public cooperation through assistance with credible information as well as appreciation for the efforts being made. Negative press will end up encouraging the adversaries while demoralising their highly committed fighting troops.,” one of the citizens said in solidarity with the government, the armed forces and the entire populace as a show of condemnation of the coward criminals said.
