Thugs attack Lagos Mass Transit trains

Many of the Lagos Mass Transit trains which transit Ijoko-Lagos on a daily basis have been subjected to attacks by thugs and hoodlums alike following incitement by roof-top riders who take delight in sitting on top of moving trains.

Metro gathered that thugs and hoodlums threw stones at moving trains around Agege and Ikeja environs, thereby traumatising passengers on-board the moving trains.

Further findings revealed that the attack on the Lagos Mass Transit trains was triggered when illegal train passengers, early last week, hauled bottles from atop the moving trains on unsuspecting road side passersby, thereby injuring a group of hoodlums around Agege bus-stop area.

Following that attack, the hoodlums, it was gathered mobilised themselves and started throwing stones and other dangerous objects on any train that passes through the Agege bus-stop area.

This ugly trend, it was later learnt, had spread to other parts of Lagos where trains pass through, Ikeja and Iju area inclusive.

When contacted, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Mr Fidet Okhiria, told Metro  that he was not in the country, but has been briefed that 100 roof-top riders had been arrested Monday morning.

In his words: “I am presently out of the country, but I can confirm to you that about 100 roof-top riders have been arrested this Monday morning with the help of the Lagos State Police Command.”

Also, in a separate chat with Metro, the Lagos District Manager for the NRC, Mr Jerry, acknowledged the attacks on the Lagos Mass Transit trains and promised that raids on roof-top riders would continue until the ugly trend was curbed.

“We carried out a raid this morning and arrested about 100 roof-top riders. I can assure you that anyone of them that does not meet the payment of fine procedure by the NRC will be charged to court.

“What we have started will not be one-off. We are going to continue the raids on the roof-top riders until we stop it. There are other security measures which had been put in place which I cannot discuss with you because they bother on security issues,” the Lagos District Manager explained.