Middle East & Africa | Red line

Kidnappers brazenly attack a train in Nigeria

Parts of Africa’s most populous country are becoming ungovernable

|ABUJA

RAILWAY DELAYS are the bane of travellers the world over. Occasionally, though, they may be a lifesaver. In October your correspondent boarded a train from Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, to the northern city of Kaduna. A fault held up its departure for 30 minutes. This was just long enough that a train coming in the opposite direction was the first to trigger explosives placed on the track. Luckily, in that attack, the train limped on and nobody was hurt.

This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Red line”

Why Ukraine must win

From the April 2nd 2022 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

More from Middle East & Africa

People hold a banner featuring Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as members of the Syrian community and supporters gather to celebrate the fall of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, in Istanbul, December 8, 2024

Turkey is determined to expand its influence in the new Syria

That could cause tensions with the Arab world—and Israel

Israeli-Palestinian-conflict-January-19

The start of a fragile truce in Gaza offers relief and joy

But the ceasefire is not yet the end of the war


Bottles of Pedro's premium Ogogoro

West African booze is becoming a luxury product

Female entrepreneurs are leading the charge


The Trump effect could upend the Middle East

Will Israel and Donald Trump use the threat of annexation to secure a new grand bargain?

After 15 months of hell, Israel and Hamas sign a ceasefire deal

Donald Trump provided the X factor by putting heat on Binyamin Netanyahu, who insists the war isn’t over yet

A hidden refuge in Sudan that the internet, banks—and war—can’t reach

A visit to the Nuba mountains provides a glimpse into the future of the country