Public outcry forces NRC to suspend Abuja-Kaduna train resumption indefinitely

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced an indefinite suspension of the Abuja-Kaduna passenger train services, which were initially scheduled to resume on the 23rd May, 2022. This is even as findings revealed that outcry from the families of the kidnapped victims of the March 28 attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train is the major reason behind the latest development at the NRC.

Spokesman of the NRC, Mr Mahmud Yakub, in a statement on Friday said a new date would be announced: “soonest.”

In the statement, the NRC apologised for the delay in the resumption of the service even as it assured the families of the kidnapped victims that it was working very hard to safely rescue the kidnapped victims.

According to the statement, “The NRC will continue to cooperate and collaborate with the Federal Government in its uncompromising mandate of protecting the territorial integrity and the internal security of Nigeria for safeguarding the lives and properties of its citizens especially as it concerns the rail sub-sector.

“In the same vein, we once again identify with the relatives of those in captivity on the account of the recent attack on AKTS to be rest assured that the Federal Government is alive to its responsibility for the safe rescue of all persons being held, hostage.

“We, therefore, appeal, particularly to the relatives of persons held hostage to be patient and cooperate with the Corporation and the security agencies as the Federal Government is exploring all possible ways and means to ensure the safe release of their loved ones from captivity, soonest.

“The NRC expresses its profound gratitude to the security agencies for the continued support.”

However, speaking to Tribune Online, a senior official of the NRC who wouldn’t want his name in print explained that the lamentations from the families of the kidnapped train passengers forced the NRC to postpone the passenger train resumption indefinitely.

“After the NRC announced that the Abuja-Kaduna passenger train will resume on Monday, 23rd of May, 2022, there was an outcry from the families of the kidnapped victims.

“Many felt once the trains resume operations, the case of the 62 passengers still in the kidnappers’ den will be forgotten. Many of them raised alarm about the continuous stay in captivity of their beloved ones and because the NRC feels their pain, the management felt the Abuja-Kaduna passenger train resumption should be postponed indefinitely.

“A new date will soon be announced very soon. For now, many people affected by the train attack are tensed and we need to assure them that we are on top of the reduction of their relatives,” the NRC official told Tribune Online exclusively.

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