The Federal Government has said that the train service from Abuja to Kaduna will resume this month after more than seven-month suspensions.
The government, which boasted that its achievements were enough to earn the ruling All Peoples Progressives Congress (APC) victory in 2023, explained that necessary security gadgets had been put in place to ensure safety on the train route.
Recall that service was halted on the Abuja-Kaduna route after terrorists who blew up a section of the track killed eight train passengers and abducted many on March 28 this year.
Transportation Minister Mu’azu Sambo, who announced the plan to reopen the Abuja-Kaduna train service, also defended the Kano-Maradi rail project from Nigeria to Niger Republic.
Sambo said: “The Abuja-Kaduna incident was a very sad one and by the grace of God, we shall not witness it again. We have taken steps and lessons have been learned and these lessons will be put into practice. What are the lessons? Safety and Security. Surveillance, 24/7 security, round the clock.
“The minister should be able to sit in his office and see what is happening on the rail tracks. The Inspector-General of Police should be able to do that, the Director-General of the Department of State Service(DSS) should be able to do that, and all other security agencies. These are the measures we are approaching. Nobody again will shave our heads behind our backs.
“This month of November shall be the month the train service will resume. Remember I said we will not resume the train service until every Nigerian in captivity was reunited with their families?
“ God has made that possible, and the security agencies have made it possible under the able leadership and support from Mr. President have made that possible and it is now history. Not one of them was injured, not one of them was hurt and we praise God.”
