Meet The Brave Abuja-Kaduna Train Driver, Ziya’u Yusuf, Who Survived Gun And Bomb Attacks

Under rains of bullets, shocks of bomb blasts and shattered windshields, Ziya’u Yusuf, maneuvered the ill-fated Abuja–Kaduna train to terminus.

Born in 1988, Mr Yusuf is one of the bravest, efficient and punctual train drivers of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC.

“Ziyau is the young, agile and brave. He accomplishes whatever task assigned to him with distinction,” one of his colleagues who preferred anonymity told DAILY NIGERIAN.

Mr Yusuf holds a National Diploma in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic, Bachi, and joined NRC in 2013.

When their train came under gun and bomb attack by terrorists at Rijana bridge on Wednesday at exactly 7:56pm, Mr Yusuf reportedly directed his colleagues to lie down in the crew compartment to avoid bullets.

As the main driver during the attack, the 33-year-old later completed the journey in a relief locomotive past midnight.

And despite the shock of the incident, the brave engineman decided to take morning passengers to Abuja.

At the return journey, the train again ran into landmine planted by the terrorists, but the intrepid youngman braved the hurdle to reach the final destination.