Amaechi Blames FG for Abuja-Kaduna Train Attack

Malik Yahya/

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has blamed Monday’s Abuja-Kaduna train attack on the failure of the federal government to release the funds needed to acquire security equipment for the rail lines.

The minister said he had requested for necessary digital security and crime prevention equipment that could forestall such an attack, but was not approved.

Speaking with journalists after visiting the scene of the incident yesterday, the minister said the incident could have been averted with relevant digital security equipment in place.

Amaechi said, “We knew what the problem would be. We knew we needed to have digital security equipment. We applied for it.

“Because if we had those equipment, you will see nobody on that track. And I warned that lives will be lost. Now, lives are lost. Eight persons dead, 25 persons in the hospital.

“We don’t know how many persons have been kidnapped. And the cost of that equipment is just N3 billion. The cost of what we’ve lost is more than N3 billion.

“We’ve lost tracks, we’ve lost locomotives and coaches. We’ve lost human beings. And the equipment is just N3 billion.

“To fix all the things on that track now, will cost us more than N3 billion. And now even the things we said give us approval to buy – at the time we asked for it, dollar was N400, now it is N500. When you come with sincerity to government and your colleagues and people are stopping you, it is annoying.”