The managing director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Fidet Okhiria, has said additional 14 passengers abducted aboard a Kaduna-bound train, which was bombed last Monday, have been found alive and safe.
The NRC boss, in an update on the attack and abduction of passengers on the train by terrorists on March 28, at Rijana area of Kaduna State, said the 14 passengers were among the 21 passengers declared missing.
Part of the statement reads, “No fewer than 186 persons on the manifest are confirmed to be safe and at their various homes with additional 14 persons confirmed safe today.
“Also, 51 phone numbers on the manifest are either switched off or not reachable since Tuesday morning. A total of 35 phone numbers on the manifest are ringing but no response from the other end.
Read Also Abuja-Kaduna Train Attack: 184 Passengers Unaccounted For, 170 Confirmed Safe
“Another 60 phone numbers on the manifest when called respond non-existent. A total of 22 persons are reported missing by their relatives while eight persons confirmed dead.
“Two coaches (SP 00016 and SP 00017) earlier re-railed were safely moved to Rigasa station, bringing the total number of recovered coaches safely moved to NRC stations to seven.”
He said that a total of 362 validated passengers were on board the attacked AK9 train service.
Okhiria also revealed that intensive work continues on track repairs, adding that more concrete sleepers were moved to site while some section of the twisted tracks had been straightened.
Read Also IGP Alkali Appoints AIG John Ogbonaya As DIG Of Research, Planning, Force HQ
He expressed the gratitude of the NRC management to the security agencies for all the support, adding that “the management also appreciated the visit of the Squadron Commander of MOPOL 1, Kaduna, to the accident site on Monday.”