To stop any kind of terrorist assault, the federal government has stationed security personnel at railroad stations and bushes along the Abuja-Kaduna rail line.
The security measures were put in place by the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to counter an alleged conspiracy to assault trains travelling the route.
Recall that on March 28, 2022, terrorists ambushed a train headed for Kaduna from Abuja, capturing a large number of passengers in the process. The Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) was compelled by this incident to temporarily cease operations along the line.
Terrorists Planning To Attack Abuja-Kaduna Train – DSS Warns
Security Alert: approaching Threat By A Coalition Of Banditry Syndicate To Attack Abuja-Kaduna Train Service Along AKTS Corridor, a letter from the DSS Director of FCT Command, R.N. Adepemu, that was leaked urged train passengers to be especially careful due to the approaching threat.
The DSS stated that there was a “impending threat to seamless train transportation along the Abuja-Kaduna Train Service (AKTS),” and that a group of banditry syndicates was preparing to attack the Abuja-Kaduna train at any moment with the intention of kidnapping the passengers and holding them for ransom.
An NRC high official reportedly told The Nation that there will now be at least 15 riot police officers on board each train. In addition, each coach has a Thuraya phone and a closed-circuit camera.
The representative clarified that the security precautions were consistent with the letter that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) leadership of the DSS had sent to the NRC.
See What NRC Said As Bandits Bomb Rail Track, Attack Abuja-Kaduna Train
The NRC official said: “I spoke with the security team today, and they confirmed to me that soldiers have already been deployed in the forests. The men deployed include personnel from the Air Force and Army.
“I can confirm that to you because some of the staff who were on escort operation with the train from Abuja-Kaduna saw some of the soldiers in each of the stations and even in the bushes.
“From the information available to me, the Chief of Defence Staff, in collaboration with the Chief of Army Staff, instructed that the bushes in Rigasa, Jere, and Asham be combed thoroughly to fish out the bad elements.
“The number of security personnel on the train has not increased, but on each trip from Abuja to Kaduna, not less than 15 Mobile Police Officers join the train, and they are fully armed.
“We also have surveillance camera installed on each of the locomotives, which is monitored from the Idu Station. So the operators can see what is going in and around the train.
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“The stations have also been equipped with Thuraya phone and calls from it can be monitored from the NRC headquarters in Lagos and also by the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
“So, to the best of my knowledge, these measures and some others that I will not like to mention have been put in place to forestall the attack. We will not witness what we witnessed in March last year.”
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