NRC assures Abuja-Kaduna rail travelers of safety

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), says it has intensified efforts to ensure the safety of trains and passengers that travel via the Abuja-Kaduna Train Service (AKTS).

Mr Paschal Nnorli, Manager, AKTS, NRC, in an interview with NAN, on Tuesday in Abuja, said that the 1955 Railway Act that established the NRC created a command  for the protection of lives and property.

“The command is usually headed by a Commissioner of Police with six or seven area commanders. On this corridor which cuts across FCT, Niger and Kaduna, there are three police divisions in Idu, Kubwa and Rigasa.

“Aside that, any train you see on this corridor is having at least 15 armed policemen and you know this trains stop at the stations.

“There are some plain clothed policemen deployed recently by the Inspector-General of Police, including Police Mobile Force units. We also have DSS personnel attached to us for intelligence gathering.

“Again, we are in synergy with the military who sometimes use helicopters to escort our trains when they have information of security threat.

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“At Rigasa in Kaduna town, we have the army on ground very near to our station, so it will be extremely difficult for anyone to attack the train,” he said.

The manager debunked claims by an online media that a train was attacked along the Abuja-Kaduna route last week.

According to him, no such attack took place.

“We wish to use this medium to inform our passengers that adequate security arrangements are in place on all our trains.

“We thank the security agencies, especially the Nigeria Police and the Military, for their support toward securing our train service.

“Our passengers are appreciated for their trust and continuous patronage; we want to assure them that safety and security remains our priority,” Nnorli said.