Abuja-Kaduna train bombing: House summons ministers, others

Sequel to terrorists’ deadly attacks on Kaduna Airport and an Abuja-Kaduna train, the House of Representatives has summoned the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, and the Chief of Defence Staff, Lucky Irabor.

Also summoned are the Chief of Army Staff, Faruk Yahaya; Chief of Air Staff (the Director-General of Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria (FAAN); the Managing Director of Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Fidet Okhiria; the Inspector General of Police, Usman Akali; the National Security Adviser, Mohammed Monguno and others.

The House charged its leadership of the House to meet with the officials on Wednesday.

The decision followed a motion of urgent national importance moved by Nnolim Nnaji (PDP, Enugu) on Tuesday, during plenary.

The motion by Nnoli was amended to include the bombing of the Kaduna bound train on Monday

The terrorists reportedly rigged the tracks with explosives, causing damage to the Kaduna bound train, while also shooting sporadically at the passengers on board the train.

The terrorists, it was further gathered, used IEDs to blow up the train tracks.
Many persons have been reportedly killed or abducted, with many sustaining various degrees of injuries.

The NRC had also announced the suspension of the railway services to Kaduna.

This is coming less than 72 hours after terrorists attempted to breach the security parameters of the Kaduna Airport, killing one person.

Nnaji, the Chairman House Committee on Aviation, warned that if urgent steps are not taken, it could spread to other airports across the country.

He told his colleagues of a similar attack on the same Kaduna Airport that resulted in the abduction of 12 persons in 2021.

“It surprises me and truly troubles me as a person that this thing could happen in the Federal Fepublic of Nigeria. This thing that happened – that truly happened – actually challenged to us as a nation.

“I think these bandits have taken these deliberate killings to the sovereignty of this country, far beyond what we can comprehend. So, we must accept collective failure. We must present a very formidable front as a house to ensure that these things do not happen again. And for it not to happen, somebody somewhere must be held responsible,” he said.

Meanwhile, Leke Abejide of ADC, Kogi, also said the government should not spare anyone who is still staying in the forest and that it should deploy heavy firepower against them.

Abejide also questioned the essence of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, an organisation charged with protecting national assets.