THE number of persons feared dead in the attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train has increased as a former Lagos State governor Bola Tinubu said 60 persons were killed in the incident.
Those reportedly killed in the attack include a youth leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Amin Mahmoud, a medical doctor Chinelo Megafu and Secretary-General of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Barrister Musa Lawal-Ozigi.
The daughter of the National Organising Secretary of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) Mallam Sule Mohammed was also reported to have been killed in the attack.
“We have tragically and unfortunately lost Farida Sule Mohammed, a 29 year old (almost 30 actually) daughter of our amiable national organizing secretary, Mallam Sule Mohammed, in the banditry attack of the Kaduna Abuja train yesterday,” the PRP said in a statement on Tuesday.
About 970 passengers were on board the ill-fated train which was travelling from Abuja to Kaduna.
Meanwhile, Tinubu, a presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) reportedly said on Tuesday that over 60 persons lost their lives in the attack.
The former Lagos State governor spoke at Eko Hotels in Lagos, venue of the 13th Bola Ahmed Tinubu Colloquium with the theme ‘Pivoting Nigeria into the New Order’.
Tinubu cancelled the event in honour of victims of the attack.
Announcing the cancellation of the event, he said, “Today is supposed to be a very joyful 70th birthday of mine living on earth. I give thanks to God Almighty for being able to survive to this age.
“I have just been informed of a very sad incident in our country, very sad indeed, that over 60 people and many more were killed and bombed on a train between Kaduna and Abuja just last night.
“For me to be here celebrating, dancing and enjoying myself doesn’t show enough concern of a statesman and a senior citizen of this country.
“This event should not be holding. I have consulted with the people you see around me here, and they’ve agreed with me and being a very highly committed democrat, I have given myself to their suggestion that they agreed that this event be cancelled.”
Meanwhile, the Chief of Army Staff Farouk Yahaya on Tuesday charged troops of the Nigerian Army to immediately fish out the terrorists responsible for the attack on the Kaduna-bound train.
Yahaya gave the directive when he visited the scene of the attack.
A reporter with the ICIR
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