Whereas the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) on Sunday announced the closure of Ekehen Station in Edo State till further notice following Saturday evening, January, 7, 2023 Train Station attack and kidnap of yet unspecified victims, security expert, Sunday Umoru has blamed both NRC and security agencies.
In an interview, Umoru argued that “Under normal circumstances, security forces ought to have been manning every Nigerian train station for at least one year from the first Abuja-Kaduna attack pending when safe signals are evident”.
“I blame the Federal government for heaping attention to only Abuja-Kaduna train axis rather than all the train routes across the country because it is not wise to think that the bad boys will continue to only attack one route.
“Another issue to find out is if there had been any intelligence on the Edo attack? If there is was it well managed? Which agency got it and why didn’t it share?
“It was alleged that the attackers were Fulani herdsmen while that of Kaduna was bandits. Is there any difference between the two criminal bodies? Has the federal government given any clear mandate to end attacks from these two bodies?
According to Umoru, Nigerian intelligent community didn’t learn any lesson from what happened along Abuja-Kaduna Train axis last year.
Business Hilights recalls that the incident came barely one year after the March 28, 2022 attack by bandits on the Abuja-Kaduna train, resulting in the death of about 14 passengers while 65 others were abducted.
NRC in a public announcement posted on the passengers’ WhatsApp Group reads, “Public Announcement: This is to inform our general public and most especially our esteemed passengers, that Ekehen Station has been temporarily closed due to security issues, till further notice.”
Gunmen suspected to be herdsmen on Saturday evening abducted many passengers waiting to board a train from the Igueben station in Igueben Local Government Area of Edo State to Warri in Delta State, while many others sustained injuries.
The Spokesperson for Edo State Police Command, Chidi Nwabuzor, confirmed the incident in a statement.
Available details show that the abductors, who were armed with AK 47, invaded the train station and shot sporadically into the air before abducting scores of intending travellers into the bush as many sustained injuries.
