The Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, has asked Nigerians to assist in raising money to cover the cost of treating the victims of the recent train attack.

Eight persons were confirmed dead and 26 injured after terrorists attacked a Kaduna-bound train on Monday evening.

Amaechi, who visited the victims who are being treated at the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna on Wednesday, said the army treated them free of charge.

He, however, added that some of the patients need drugs that are not manufactured in the country.

He, therefore, appealed to Nigerians to assist in raising the money.

He said, “The CMD and I have been talking, the army has not charged one kobo on any patient, and they have given the maximum medical treatment that they can give to any patient.

“You saw the patients with burns and then the one that has a bullet located in her heart. They are bringing an expert tomorrow for that one to see if there will be surgery or not to take out the bullet.

“They said they have only seven (patients) left and the rest have been discharged. The ministry, and I think the federal government, are grateful to the Nigerian Army for providing such services. But one thing I have said to the Nigerian people is to liaise with the hospital management and see how much money they can contribute for the treatment of the patients.”

On Tuesday, Amaechi said the attack would have been foiled if the procurement of N3 billion worth of equipment had been approved for the trains.

He described the equipment as high capacity rail track cameras and sensors, which he said would eliminate all blind spots on the train corridors across the country.