The Federal Government is to establish the Nigerian Railways and host communities’ security committees as part of measures to curb the incidence of armed attacks on railway infrastructure and passengers in the country.
The Minister of State for Transportation, Ademola Adegoroye, made this known when he visited the Tom Ikimi train station in Igueben Local Government Area of Edo State which was attacked by yet-to-be identified gun men on Saturday.
In a statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Henshaw Ogubike, The Minister while sympathising with the victims of the unfortunate attack, noted that ”the intention of the perpetrators of the heinous crime was to sabotage the efforts of President Mohammed Buhari’s towards the resuscitation of the rail transport and therefore solicited the cooperation of the host communities.
Adegoroye gave an assurance that security operatives were on the trail of the assailants, adding that government would do everything possible to bring the perpetrators of the heinous act to justice.
Also speaking, the Managing Director, of Nigeria Railway Corporation, Fidet Okhiria said train services on the Warri-Itakpe corridor had not been halted, noting however that the train would not be making a stop at the Tom Ikimi Train Station in the meantime.