Abuja-Kaduna Train Attack: NRC dismisses social media reports on 970 passengers on board

Abuja-Kaduna Train Attack: NRC dismisses social media reports on 970 passengers on board 

By Alabi Quadri 

Barely days after terrorists bombed a Kaduna-bound train killing about nine persons, the Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC, has dismissed social media reports that about 970 passengers were on board the AK-9 train when tragedy struck. 

In the early hours of Thursday, 31, March 2022, NRC Managing Director, Fidet Okhiria finally issued a statement on the incident, giving clarifications where necessary. 

"The Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC, deeply commiserates with all the passengers on board the NRC AK9 train of 28th March 2022, their relatives and friends, the government and people of Kaduna state and the Federal Capital Territory as well as the entire nation. In particular, we regret the death of 8 of our passengers and security personnel attached to the train service as well as the injury suffered by scores of our passengers, not mentioning the trauma caused them and crew by the armed attack.

“We also earnestly pray for the speedy recovery of the injured passengers while praying God grants the families of the bereaved fortitude to bear the loss.

“Our attention has however been drawn to the misleading and insensitive information circulating on social media with respect to the number of passengers on the train.

“The Abuja – Kaduna service is run on a fully automated e-ticket system with entry and exit turnstiles that validate every passenger on board our trains. Ticket checkers also validate the tickets of every passenger via electronic validators linked to the central system to verify the integrity of our manifest.

“398 passengers purchased tickets to travel on the NRC AK9 service, and 362 passengers actually boarded the AK9 service.

“The entire seat capacity of the train in question is 840; therefore, the figure of 970 being circulated can not be correct.

Furthermore, Okhiria advised media practitioners to be guided by high sense of professionalism and to desist from spreading false information “at this delicate time.”