Fifty-two cows have been killed by an Abuja-Kaduna bound train on Sunday, September 9, at Kasarami in the Kagarko local government area of Kaduna state.
Punch reports that this was disclosed by the state commissioner of police, Ahmad Abdulrahman, during a press conference in Kaduna.
We gathers that Abdulrahman said the command received a distress call when the incident occurred. According to him, he and some policemen attached to the command moved swiftly to the spot.
He said the train was speeding and in the process crushed 52 cattle to death. According to him, 27 of the cattle were still alive, but had to be slaughtered and sold at low prices so as to avoid a total loss.
Abdulrahman explained that the Fulani herdsmen were on their way back to Katsina state when the incident happened.
The police chief said: “When we got to the scene, we found out that contrary to earlier calls of insurgent attacks, what actually happened was an accident involving cows.
“Fulani herdsmen, who passed the night at Kasarami, asked if they could cross over with their cattle and were misinformed that there were no rail services on Sunday.
“It was when they were half way that a fast moving train from Rigasa station on the way to Abuja approached.
“I want to assure the people of Kaduna state that what happened was an accident and no life was lost; only the cattle. I had a meeting with their leaders and the farmers in the area to check a recurrence.”
Meanwhile, it had been previously reported that six herdsmen and over 150 cows at Akpanagya, in the Keana local government area of Nasarawa state, were allegedly killed by soldiers deployed to Benue and Nasarawa states border.
The acting police public relations officer of the state command, ASP Usman Samaila, confirmed this in a telephone interview in Lafia.
