‘We no go allow fear stop us from using Abuja-Kaduna train’

Nigeria goment announce on Monday say Abuja-Kaduna train go resume dis month afta 8 months suspension.

Di service bin stop afta 9 pipo die and ova 150 bin dey kidnapped for one attack on di train on 28 March, 2022.

Part of di reason wey di minister of transport Muazu Sambo give for di resumption be say dem don get adequate security in place to ensure say wetin happun before no go happun again.

Some Nigerians don react to di announcement say di train service go start.

Musa Umar na regular passenger of di train and don use am countless times before di suspension. Im tell BBC News Pidgin say e go kontinu to use di train and no go allow fear stop am.

“Dis train na lifeline for many pipo and dis eight months suspension bring untold hardship.

“For me, I no go allow fear stop me to use di train becos pesin wey dey inside im house sef no dey safe; how many times gunmen don enta pesin house kidnap am and im family.

“Di train dey important because for many no be pleasure but important tins like work and opportunities dey make dem use am.”

But anoda passenger Isah Salihu no follow on dis lack of fear.

Salihu say e say e go wait first to observe how tins dey go before e begin use di train again.

“To dey honest I still dey fear afta wetin happun on 28 March, so wetin I plan to do na to observe before I buy ticket to use di train again because I still get doubts on safety.”

‘Adequate security dey on ground’

Nigeria minister of transport Muazu Sambo say goment don learn lesson from di train attack wey happen few months back.

E say ahead of di resumption dem don put adequate security in place to avoid repeat.

“Wetin be di lessons wey we learn? Dem be safety and security surveillance, constant monitoring 24/7 all around the clock.

Background of di train attack and kidnap

On Monday, 28 March 2022, some suspected bandits attack one of di trains wey dey run between Abuja and Kaduna for northern Nigeria.

Di train don already enter Kaduna state but neva reach station wen di attack happun, some kilometres after Rijana town.

Some passengers describe di horror wey happun on dat evening inside train, as bandits bomb parts of di train and also shoot some pipo.

Shehu Isa, one of di passengers tell BBC News Pidgin say di train leave Abuja around 6pm and evritin bin dey go smoothly until dem reach Dutse-Kakau area wen dem hear loud bang and train begin shake.

“Me and di pesin wey siddon near me dey even gist, wen we hear di loud bang and train begin shake.

Na so all of us quickly lie down for ground.”Isa tok say e no too tay before dem start dey hear gunshots.

“I use my eye see some pipo wey wit gun wounds, yesterday (Monday) na one of di greatest escape for my life.”We no dey follow road again because of insecurity but now di same insecurity dey take over railways.

How poor man wan survive for Nigeria?” na so e ask wit so much pain for im voice.

Isa tok say e go tay small before e travel again sake of di shock and trauma wey e go thru.

Oda times wey Kaduna-Abuja train suffer attack

Di attack for March no be di first time wey di train wey dey follow dis Abuja-Kaduna route..

And for many passengers, dem dey confuse becos dem bin dey get mind say di trains go dey safer dan roads especially for di Abuja-Kaduna route sake of di many reports of kidnappings.

October 2021, some pipo attack di train wey dey travel from Kaduna to Abuja . 

September 2020, train wey dey move from Abuja to Kaduna come under serious attack and passengers say dem hear gunshots as di train dey move.

But ASP Mohammed Jagile wey be tok-tok pesin for Kaduna Police Command bin comot to say na just some hoodlums throw stones at di train.

January 2020, anoda incident happun for Katari station (70km to capital Abuja) as some passengers complain say dem hear gunshots on dia way to Abuja.

Why Kaduna-Abuja rail dey important

Di Kaduna to Abuja rail na di only active rail wey connect Nigerian capital Abuja to di seven northwest states.

Many Nigerians wey dey travel to Abuja from Katsina, Sokoto or any of di northwest states dey travel to Kaduna by road and from dia enter train to Abuja to avoid Kaduna road wey get many security wahala.

President Muhammadu Buhari commission di train services on 26 July, 2016 and e come at a time wey many pipo dey try avoid regular road due to kidnappings and banditry wey dey happun so dis reason make plenty pipo to prefer di train.

Many pipo, no fit afford to fly to Abuja from some of di northern states and dem also no wan follow di problematic Kaduna road wey don see plenti kidnappings in recent years including di recent one wey involve Emir of Bungudu town.