THE Department of State Services has written to the Federal Ministry of Transportation confirming that its intelligence revealed that the Boko Haram terrorists are planning to launch a fresh attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train service.
The Ministry of Transportation, in an internal memo obtained by News Point Nigeria on Thursday, therefore wrote to the Federal Minister of Defence, Maj Gen Bashir Magashi, asking for security reinforcement to forestall the terrorists attack.
The letter dated, February 3, 2023, and titled, “Re: Threat by Boko Haram terrorists to attack the Abuja-Kaduna Train Service” was signed by Mu’azu Jaji Sambo, the transportation Minister.
It reads in part:
“We are in receipt of a letter reference, S.314/31/C/5390, dated February 1, 2023, from the Department of State Services in respect of the above subject matter. It is our considered opinion that the Honourable Minister of Defence, as a matter of urgency, graciously convenes a meeting of all relevant stakeholders for the purpose of reviewing the reported alert with a view to ensuring that everything necessary to forestall any such occurrence is adequately dealt with.”
Recall had reported that the Islamic terrorists attacked the Abuja-Kaduna train on March 28, 2022, killing eight passengers and kidnapped 168 while several others were injured.
The abducted passengers were released in batches since then, with the last 23 freed in October, almost six months after the attack.
News Point Nigeria had reported that the Secretary, Chief of Defence Staff Action Committee (CDSAC), Usman Yusuf, announced the release of the 23 last set of abductees.
A Presidential Committee reportedly set up by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, to look into the abduction of victims of the Kaduna-Abuja train attack, secured the release of the 23 remaining victims in the terrorists’ captivity.
In June 2022, 11 of the abductees were released, while in July, seven more abducted passengers, including Sadiq, son of Ango Abdullahi, chairman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), were freed.
On August 2, five kidnap victims were released and in subsequent days, more abductees secured their freedom.
The release of the victims also came with a cost as several billions of naira were paid by families to the Islamic terrorists as ransom.