Security remains a crucial element in Nigeria as several gunmen attack a train near Abuja

ABUJA, Nigeria (GA) — Security remains a crucial element to Nigeria’s growth and development. On Monday, eyewitnesses reported that several shooters attacked a train near Nigeria’s capital. Their attack included random gunfire, killing an indeterminate number of people on a train with nearly 1,000 passengers on board.

According to Fidet Okhiria, chief executive of the state-owned Nigerian Railway Corporation, first, the attackers used explosives to blow up the track before opening fire on the train near Abuja in northwest Nigeria. He said that many people are also feared to have been kidnapped during the “unprecedented” attack.

Authorities could not immediately confirm the number of passengers on the train, but local media reported that nearly 1,000 were on board. “There were casualties, but we have not been able to confirm the number,” said Okhiria, calling the attack a significant setback. It is the latest in a series of other train attacks.