Business
FG directs Abuja-Kaduna train services resumption, defies families of kidnap victims

Nigeria’s federal government has directed the resumption of the Abuja-Kaduna Train services by Monday, May 23, 2022.
The directive comes amid failed negotiations over the abducted passengers.
This is even as families of kidnapped Abuja-Kaduna train passengers continue to insist that the train service should not be resumed until their loved ones are rescued.
The FG directive was disclosed in a press statement issued by the Spokesman for the Nigeria Railway Corporation, Yakub Mahmood, on Monday.
The statement read in part, “The Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Transportation has directed the resumption of the Abuja-Kaduna Train Services.”
It added, “The passenger train service between Abuja-Kaduna is to commence on Monday, May 23, 2022.”
According to the statement, joint efforts are made to secure the safe release of the abducted passengers being held hostage by the terrorists continue out of the public domain for strategic security reasons.
It further stated that the government further assured the relatives of the abducted passengers still in captivity that the safe rescue of the passengers was a top priority, and the resumption of train services should not be regarded as abandonment or a nonchalant attitude of the government towards their plight.
In the statement, the Board and management of the NRC said that additional security measures were being implemented at both the train stations and the track to ensure the safety of the passengers on board.
The passengers were asked to cooperate with the NRC to ensure improved service delivery, safety and comfort by complying with additional measures introduced by the NRC.