A Nigerian female doctor and more than six persons have reportedly been killed in the terror attack on Abuja-Kaduna train.
The suspected bandits attacked a passenger train that headed to the northern Nigerian city of Kaduna from the capital Abuja on Monday night, a passenger and a security source said.
An eye witness narrated that suspected bandits blew rail tracks and exchanged fire with security officials aboard the train, the second such incident since October that highlights growing insecurity in Africa’s most populous country.
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The doctor identified as Chinelo, had taken to her Twitter handle last night to ask people to pray for her after she sustained a gunshot injury during the attack.
”I’m in the train. I have been shot please pray for me.”
Her friend via his Twitter handle this morning disclosed that she didn’t make it.
”Just woke up to a sad news My friend just woke up to losing a close friend who was shot at the Abuja Kaduna train incident by terrorists She tweeted yesterday that we should pray for her. Sadly she didn’t make it. She was a Doctor Nigeria why..I’m heartbroken
I was just here yesterday tweeting and asking if there were medical personnels on the train who could offer emergency services And some people were here saying why will I think of such a thing..really?..for basic first aid to be provided for injured May Nigeria not happen to us.
#RIPDRCHINELO”
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) said in a statement on Tuesday it had temporarily suspended services on the Abuja-Kaduna route following the attack, which took place some 30 minutes from Kaduna.
Two NRC workers and five security personnel were killed when gunmen opened fire on the train, a passenger and member of Kaduna’s security service told Reuters.
A Kaduna police spokesman did not respond to calls and text messages seeking comment.
Kaduna security services were expected to hold a media briefing media later on Tuesday, local television stations reported.
Kaduna-based journalist Yusuf Atta said his mother and sister were on the train and were not accounted for as of Tuesday morning.
Most of about 920 passengers were taken from the scene of the attack on buses to Kaduna as deployed security forces kept watch on the train, relatives of the passengers told Reuters.
An unknown number of passengers were injured and receiving treatment at a local hospital, Kaduna state internal security ministry said.
