The Managing Director of Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), Fidet Okhiria, has attributed the latest train station attack to the incomplete security architecture of train stations across the country.
This is coming after the kidnap of 32 persons from the Tom Ikimi train station in Igueben, Edo State.
Ohkiria, speaking about the incident on Channels Television’s programme, Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, said the attacks in the Nigeria Railway system were deliberate and an act of sabotage.
Okhiria, who noted that security could not be 100 percent guaranteed, said Edo State Commissioner of Police and his men were still in search of the bandits and also doing everything possible to ensure the release of the other victims, adding that the remaining victims were suspected to be divided into groups.
“From what they are saying, I think they divided the people in captive in groups. That is the information I have,” he said.
Asked if there were possibilities that in the next 24hours another set would be rescued, he said: ”We hope so, the intensity the security and community have deployed to ensure that we are not embarrassed.
”I think something good will happen very soon because people have been out there since Saturday and they are still there.”
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On the security measures the government had said they put in place to ensure safety of the railway system and what went wrong this time, Okhiria said: “Nothing went wrong. As I said, you plan and you also have people who are trying to sabotage your thoughts.
“At this point, we have not got to the peak of that security architecture we want in our stations, although it is out of the ordinary; we don’t have that in railway operations.
“We have been liaising with the security agents, the Inspector General of Police, Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Air Staff to raise the security committee that the Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Sambo, setup which is made up of the military personnel to ensure that the right people are deployed to our train station and to the train.
“I don’t think there is perfect security situation. Even the United States, they still tackle security issues. We just pray that Nigerians change their minds because that is the best way we can live in peace and the earlier we apprehend these evil people the better for everyone.”
The NRC boss furthered that security measures were not being limited to Abuja-Kaduna or Lagos-Ibadan train stations, adding that when they were talking of security, it is general security for the railway system that is being referred to.
Responding to the reason the Edo train station was still attacked, despite the general security NRC installed for the rail system, Okhiria said: “I don’t want to go into a debate, it has happened, we should look ahead and see how we can make sure it doesn’t happen again.
”It doesn’t mean there is no 100 per cent railway system that cannot be sabotaged.”
Okhiria said train services on the Warri-Itakpe corridor had not been halted, noting, however, that the train would not be making a stop at the Tom Ikimi Train Station for the meantime.
