Wednesday 20th of October will forever remain an unforgettable experience in the life of NRC train driver Ziya’u Yusuf.
The train driver who faced attacks from bandits under rains of bullets, shock of bomb blasts and shattered windshields, gallantly manoeuvred the ill-fated Abuja-Kaduna train back to the terminus.
Born in 1988, Mr Yusuf is regarded as one of the bravest, efficient and punctual train drivers of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC.
READ ALSO: Kaduna gov’t confirms attack on travellers along Abuja-Kaduna highway
He holds a Diploma in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic, Bauchi, and joined NRC in 2013.
“Ziya’u is young, agile and brave. He accomplishes whatever task assigned to him with distinction,” one of his colleagues who preferred anonymity told Daily Nigerian.
On their escape when the train came under gun and bomb attack by terrorists at Rijana bridge on Wednesday at exactly 7:56 pm, 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.
On the return journey, the train again ran into a landmine planted by the terrorists, but the intrepid young man braved the hurdle to reach the final destination.
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