Members of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) were among those killed in Monday’s attack on a Kaduna bound train.
Daily Trust gathered that the Secretary-General of the union, Barr. Musa-Lawal Ozigi, and TUC Chairman in Kwara, Comrade Akinsola Akinwunmi, were killed during the attack.
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Reacting to the incident, some members of the union expressed over the development.
“We lost our Sec. Gen. (Secretary-General) and the Kwara State Chairman,” a source in the TUC confided in Daily Trust on telephone.
“Barrister Musa-Lawal Ozigi is dead. He was among those who were attacked yesterday by bandits in Kaduna-Abuja railway. Ozigi, a barrister, was killed by the bandits during the attack. We just received the information. Eight persons have been confirmed dead so far.”
Also confirming the demise of TUC Scribe and Akinwunmi, a former President of TUC, Comrade Peter Esele, lamented over the high rate of insecurity in the country.
“The choice of being born in this country wasn’t yours to make. One thing about you that I can attest to, is your love and optimism for this country.”
“Yesterday, the terrorists put off your light as you travel by train to Kaduna. Thank you for all the beautiful memories, our many travels over the years. Now your journey has ended, and another has begun. May the light and love of God, lead you on. Goodbye my Comrade SG.”
In the same vein, a cross-section of members of the TUC, who spoke to our correspondent expressed grief over the sad incident.
A member, who simply identified himself as Comrade Victor, said the organised labour would not accept “continued ineptitude” of the present government to secure the lives and property of Nigerians.
Another member, who spoke anonymously, also called on all members of both TUC and NLC to rise to the occasion and protest against what he described as “absurdities”.
“If we don’t rise today to challenge this barbaric act, who knows who is next tomorrow. We can’t continue like this, we must call a spade a spade,” he said.
Daily Trust had reported how terrorists bombed a section of the Kaduna-Abuja rail track, forcing the train, which departed Abuja at 6pm on Monday to derail.
In the latest update on the rescue operation, Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said while eight corpses had been recovered, 26 people who were injured were receiving treatment.
He said according to the record obtained from the Nigerian Railway Corporation, 362 persons boarded the train.
