We Will Ensure Increased Security, Surveillance Of Rail Lines, Transport Assets, Says Osinbajo

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*VP in Kaduna today to visit victims of Abuja-Kaduna terrorist train attack

 

*Condemns tragic incident, describing it as purely evil, cowardly

 

The Federal Government will ramp up its efforts in providing security and surveillance measures across the country’s rail network, as well as transport assets to ensure the safety of lives and property and ensure that the dastardly terrorist attack on the Abuja-Kaduna rail does not reoccur again.

 

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, emphasized this position on Tuesday evening in Kaduna, after shelving a planned Lagos trip to get first-hand information and visit the injured victims of the Abuja-Kaduna terrorist attack.

 

On getting the report on the severity of the tragic event, the VP had immediately shelved his planned trip to Lagos to attend the 13th Tinubu Colloquium marking the 70th birthday of the former Governor of Lagos, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

 

The VP, on behalf of the President and government, condoled with the families of those who lost their lives, as well as those of the injured and all of the victims of this very unfortunate and tragic incident,”

 

While the VP was commiserating with the victims, President Muhammadu Buhari held a meeting with the Security Chiefs at the State House, urging for increased security and surveillance monitoring for the rail lines.

 

The President, who emphasized his earlier directive that the military should deal ruthlessly with the terrorists, stated that no one should be allowed to hold the country to ransom. He directed forces to ensure the rescue of all kidnapped passengers on the train.

 

On arrival at the Kaduna International Airport, Prof. Osinbajo was received the State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, his deputy and other members of the Kaduna State Executive Council

 

At the end of his visit, the Vice President spoke with the press in Kaduna. He visited the injured victims at the St. Gerard Hospital, 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna, alongside Governor El-Rufai and the Catholic Archbishop of Kaduna, the Most Revd. Matthew Manoso Ndagoso.

 

Prof. Osinbajo condemned the terrorist attack and described the incident as very unfortunate and tragic.

 

He also visited the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) Rigasa train station where its Manager, Abdulaziz Mohammed, briefed the VP on the incident.

 

Expressing sadness and sympathising with the people and Government of the State over the unfortunate attack, Prof. Osinbajo stated that the Federal Government “remains resolute in our commitment to ensuring that these sorts of things are prevented, and that as quickly as possible, services are restored and that the type of safety measures that are required are put in place.”

 

“It also reinforces our own belief that we must continue to provide the kind of security and surveillance that is required on the rail tracks and that is something that we are actively doing to ensure that we have a comprehensive plan for protecting rail tracks and protecting all of our transport assets everywhere.”

 

“Clearly this is an attempt to cause fear, there is no redeeming feature of it, it is just purely evil, it is cowardly; there is nothing that it achieves, except to just cause fear, for some people there might be profit, those are trying to kidnap and all of that. But this, as you can see, where you have criminals and terrorists doing these kinds of things, it is evident that there is no real benefit, even for them.

 

“We’ve been around to see some of the victims of this very tragic incident and many of them of course, are recovering very well, and we are very happy to see that the state government has taken on the responsibility of medical assistance to them and ensuring that they are comfortable and they are well.”

 

The Vice President added that the Federal Government will support the state government in every way to ensure the welfare of the victims, whom he noted “were innocent people, just doing their regular businesses, but were assaulted in a cowardly way.”

 

“I think it’s condemnable and we must all condemn it and resolve to ensure that these things should not happen again,” the VP stated.

 

29^th March 2022

 

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Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President