By Tosin Olatokunbo

Rotimi Amaechi, Nigeria’s Minister of Transport has disclosed that the failure by the National Assembly to approve N3 billion for the provision of digital and surveillance equipment on rail tracks led to the Abuja-Kaduna train bombing. NASS is responsible for appropriating funds for government’s projects.

President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered security agencies to hunt down the terrorists in the wake of the attack which led to  at least 10 passengers dead  and dozens feared kidnapped by the criminals. Close to 400 passengers were on board at the time of the attack.

Some passengers, including a former Deputy Governor of Zamfara state are still being treated for gun injuries sustained from the incident.

The attack has elicited angry reactions across the country as many Nigerians, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar condemning the attacks, calling on the federal government to rise arrest the growing insecurity.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday canceled his planned trip to Lagos State for the Tinubu colloquium and travelled to Kaduna State to assess the situation.

But Amaechi said the incident could have been avoided if funds were provided for surveillance equipment around the rail line, in veil reference to the National Assembly who, he said failed  to approve funds for the project.

The minister said he had requested for necessary digital security and crime prevention equipment that could forestall such disaster but was rebuffed by the lawmakers.

Briefing journalists after visiting the scene of the incident on Tuesday, the minister expressed dissatisfaction over the incident, which he claimed, could have been averted with relevant digital security equipment in place.

The minister said the cost of human lives lost to the attack is more than the N3 billion he requested for the project.

According to him, “We knew what the problem would be. We knew we needed to have digital security equipment. We applied for it,” he said.

He said further that, “Because if we had those equipment, you will see nobody on that track. And I warned that lives will be lost. Now, lives are lost. Eight persons dead, 25 persons in the hospital.

“We don’t know how many persons have been kidnapped. And the cost of that equipment is just N3 billion. The cost of what we’ve lost is more than N3 billion.

“We’ve lost tracks, we’ve lost locomotives and coaches. We’ve lost human beings. And the equipment is just N3 billion.

“To fix all the things on that track now, will cost us more than N3 billion. And now even the things we said give us approval to buy – at the time we asked for it, dollar was N400, now it is N500. When you come with sincerity to government and your colleagues and people are stopping you, it is annoying,” Amaechi said.

Meanwhile, President Buhari has ordered the military to deal ruthlessly with terrorists, asking them to go all out against the criminals.

Buhari who gave the order while receiving the Service Chiefs at the Presidential Villa, Abuja led by Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, also directed the immediate conclusion of all the processes for the implementation of the integrated security surveillance and monitoring solution for the Abuja to Kaduna rail line.

The president said the contract should be extended to cover the Lagos-Ibadan rail line.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday titled, ‘Kaduna train attack: President Buhari directs immediate implementation of security solution; condemns incident’.

According to the statement, the President “also directed the Nigerian Railway Corporation management to speedily repair the damaged lines and resume normal service without delay.”

“He charged the law enforcement chiefs to bring back all passengers kidnapped and ensure that each of the callous terrorists are hunted down and made to face justice for their heinous acts as no one or group should be allowed to make the country prostrate,” Shehu stated.