That Unfortunate Attack On The Abuja-Kaduna Train

When the then Federal Government under President Olusegun Obasanjo conceived the idea of light rail project from Abuja to Kaduna, the main consideration then wasn’t much as regards security or insecurity as the case may be, rather it was simply to provide an alternative means of commuting and to reduce the traffic density on the Abuja- Kaduna double carriage way.

The express way was then in very good condition and no incidences of armed banditry or kidnappers whatsoever.

With the passage of time, however, as the project was completed and commissioned, the light rail project has come to be most importantly in the particular area of providing a safer and more comfortable means of public commuting. This becomes clearer when viewed against the backdrop of the increasing and more alarming insecurity due to the spate of kidnappings and armed robbery especially along the Abuja-Kaduna road; and also the dilapidation of the road before the construction and now with the many diversions and gridlocks due to the current expansion works. Instances of kidnappings on the Abuja-Kaduna road became more alarming from 2015 to date despite repeated assurances of taming same by the authorities. The condition of the important road worsened as the road construction project awarded by President Muhammadu Buhari about three years ago is gradually becoming a failed project despite the release of billions of naira to the contractors. Insiders said those that allegedly collected heavy kickbacks from the contractor (Julius Berger Construction Company) after initial mobilization payment have caused the delay.

For the above mentioned reasons, Nigerians irrespective of class and gender – the rich and the poor, men and women, adult and children, politicians and all – now use the Abuja –Kaduna train to avoid being taken hostages and even death in the hands of the kidnappers. The citizens prefer to pay N1300 to N3000 for the economy and First Class coaches respectively, as against the N600 to N800 for the 2hours, 30minutes journey by road. With the recent increase in electricity tariffs and fuel price coupled with restrictions on the limitations of the number of passengers in each commercial vehicle, cost of transport fare has increased while it takes between 3, 4 and sometimes even 5 hours to reach Abuja from Kaduna or Kaduna to Abuja due to the poor condition of the road and diversions that usually results in heavy traffic and even accidents. As a result of executive rascality, corruption and lack of political will many have lost their lives due to avoidable accidents. Potholes have consumed virtually the entire road.

It becomes ironic, however, that with the resumption of the train service after the covid-19 lockdown, the fares for the train were astronomically hiked by more than 100 per cent (N3000 and N6000 respectively for economy and First Class coaches respectively).

What has remained interesting here is that even with the fares more than doubled, Nigerians still continue to patronize the train services, believing wholeheartedly that it guarantees unequalled security and comfort. But was this only a mere wishful thought?

Only recently, there were reports that after Nigerians have paid for the exorbitant fares through their noses, the Abuja bound train was attacked by what social media accounts described as bandits. The incident took place between Asham and Kubwa on Monday September 14, 2020 in the afternoon.

The social media claim was, however, faulted by both the police and the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), saying the attack was perpetrated by hoodlums and not by bandits.

Speaking in a statement, the NRC Managing Director, Fidet Okhiria, said hoodlums usually stand along the rail track and throw stones at the passing train, maintaining that the Monday attack was one of such incidents.

“There was no bandit attack on the train; it’s just a rumour, otherwise they will have seen bullets all over the train. It was hoodlums who threw stones on the train and because police got one of the suspects at night, more hoodlums came out to attack the train in protest against the arrest made in the afternoon”, Okhiria maintained.

Although both the police and the NRC have deliberately refused to say anything about the casualty in the said attack, reports have confirmed that a woman sitting by the window has sustained serious injuries after being hit by the broken glass splinters and that she is presently receiving treatment. To many, it is just not possible for a stone that reportedly hit the glass of the train from outside to damage it to that extent and even injured a seating passenger. But such denials, outright fabrications of falsehood from the highest level of government is consistent with the Nigeria of today.

At the moment, there is no gainsaying the fact that the attack has raised concerns among the train passengers about the safety of their chosen means of transportation after all. And this is the time for the Federal Government and the Federal Ministry of Transport to collaborate with the police and other armed forces to ensure that the trains are more secured in the true sense of the word. But DESERT HERALD believes that issues of insecurity that resulted in such attacks, kidnappings and even killings will continue to linger as long as government policies and inaction that promotes poverty, hunger and unemployment continue and that security agencies cannot perform any magic in situations like that.

If the train can be so attacked by hoodlums, and as the NRC MD, Okhiria, claims that it was a regular occurrence, it follows that the chances of severe attacks by bandits is not entirely ruled out.

Nigerians deserve to be protected anywhere they are and at all costs. To be able to maintain the viability of the train, it must continue to attract the high number of passengers it used to enjoy and that can only be achieved if and when the passengers continue to see it as the safest it claims to be.

Now is the time to provide adequate security to and on the train before the passengers lose confidence; and this does not preclude the need for more efforts towards securing the roads as well and providing succour through the right policies to the largely impoverished people of the oil rich nation.