The Federal Government has announced readiness to bring in two additional couches to complement existing ones on the new Abuja-Kaduna metroline as many travelers shun the highways due to growing cases of kidnapping.
Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who disclosed plans to move two additional coaches from the Intake Warrior railway to the corridor to decongest the mounting pressure on the Abuja-Kaduna train service, said “The queue is because the coaches are not enough; people are standing. The reason for which we bought those coaches was for people to sit down. So, I have directed that they should move two coaches from Itakpe-Warri to Abuja-Kaduna.”
Though he was silent on why rail traffic sudden went up on the Abuja-Kaduna corridor, he explained while speaking to journalists on Monday after the inspection of the Lagos-Ibadan railway in Abuja, that he was aware of the ongoing racketeering at the Idu and Rigasa stations as coaches that usually take 200 passengers now carry 500 persons.
Business Hilights recalls that the last three months, there had been well over 10 reported cases of kidnapping activities which either ended up in victims either losing their lives or paying through their nose to be alive.
A recent viral report by a rail travel went as follows; “If you think everything is alright with this country, come, come quickly to Kaduna train station.
“Every single day now, kidnappers kill and well…kidnap people on Kaduna/Abuja expressway. So, rich people, powerful people, white people and Pakistanis, government officials, handsome and ugly people in absolute dread of the kidnappers have besieged the train station.
“I was in Kaduna this week, people came in for conferences and all, not one of them I met came by road. I met Generals of the army and air force with their entourage inside the train. I can’t mention, very top, top government officials I met on the train.
“On the return leg, the train station was like Oshodi market, children sitting on floors and crying in the sun, the small waiting room filled up four hours to the scheduled time( because trains move two times only that day). People came with all manner of load, fridge, television, and fan. I asked where is Abuja Park in town and they laughed. It has been abandoned, almost.
“10 minutes after start of sale of tickets, officials say first class tickets are finished (rather it was reserved for the various big men and government officials).
“So I began a one-man protest. Big men should leave the train for us the masses, they should use the road. Why shorten our rations with your entourage and security details when your police could engage the kidnappers and kill them.
“The annoying ones are the Generals who ride to the station with siren and a truck load of soldiers. Why not use the road hen!
Though the security agencies had been trying their best to rid the highway of kidnappers, investigations show that not much may have been recorded in terms of return to normalcy in road security.
