The Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) has suspended the Lagos-Kano and Ajaokuta train services over the fear of terrorist attacks.
It was gathered that the NRC suspended services at the Ajaokuta station along Warri-Itakpe route over the attack on some train passengers by gunmen on Monday, while operations on the Lagos-Kano route were suspended over the rising insecurity in Niger and Kaduna states, which are the routes of the train heading to Kano from Lagos.
According to PUNCH, multiple sources in the Ministry of Transportation and the NRC disclosed that the train services would not resume until the security along the Lagos-Kano route and the Ajaokuta train station was guaranteed.
The suspension of the train services was however confirmed by the NRC Managing Director, Fidet Okhiria, on Tuesday.
Okhiria, while speaking on the services along the Warri-Itakpe route, said: “We have not stopped services, rather what we said was that we are not going to be stopping at the Ajaokuta station.
“This is because yesterday (Monday), while passengers were leaving the station with their private cars and buses, they had people shooting at them. So we said we will not stop there again for passengers.
“The train is still running, but for now we will not be stopping at Ajaokuta because they have some concerns there. We heard that they removed their traditional ruler in that location and the local government chairman there,” the NRC Managing Director disclosed.
He added that apart from the Abuja-Kaduna route, the NRC had also suspended services on the Lagos-Kano route over the security challenges bedeviling the country.
When asked if there was any other train service that was not operating aside from the Abuja-Kaduna service, Okhiria said: “No, apart from the Lagos to Kano (train service) because the Kaduna route is affected by the activities of bandits; and it (Lagos-Kano route) was stopped because we have to pass through Minna and Kaduna when heading to Kano. So we have to stop it for now.”
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