FG , Atiku condemn  kidnapping of train passengers in Edo

*‘We urgently need state police’ — Atiku

The Federal Government has described the kidnapping of train passengers at Tom Ikimi Train Station, Igueben in Edo as despicable and utterly barbaric.

 Also, Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who  condemned  the incident says the country urgently needs state police.

Speaking for the Fedrral government , the  Director of Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Transportation, Mr Henshaw Ogubike, said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

“The Public is hereby reassured that the security agencies are making efforts to rescue the kidnapped train passengers.

“The Nigeria Police is on the trail of the criminals and have mobilised with a view to protecting the lives and property of the remaining passengers.

“The government is saddened by this unpleasant development and assures on its prompt response to the ugly situation.

“Further details will be communicated later, ” Ogubike stated.

 Some suspected herdsmen allegedly armed with AK 47 riffles attacked the train station at Igueben on Jan. 7 and kidnapped some passengers waiting to board the train to Warri.

The former vice-president said this in a Twitter post on Sunday while reacting to the attack on the train station in Igueben, Edo state.

While condemning the attack, Atiku said he will put in place specific initiatives if elected president in the coming election.

“The attack on a train station in Igueben LGA of Edo state, during which armed men kidnapped an undetermined number of people is the latest in a long condemnable line of security breaches previously unseen in our national history,” Atiku wrote.

“The thoughts of my family and I are with the abducted and their families as we pray for their safe return. While we pray, it is important also to point out that this serves as the latest reminder of the urgent need to reform our security architecture to better safeguard the lives and properties of Nigerian citizens.

“We can do this by doing the following; amending our constitution to allow for state and community policing as a first line of security.

 “Modify our security apparatus to pay a greater premium to intelligence gathering and crime prevention than our current reactive approach. It is unacceptable for terrorists to plan attacks of this nature, mobilise arms and ammunition, secure funding and move large numbers of people across large spaces without detection by security agencies.”

Atiku added that there is the need to deploy technology toward tracking terrorists and degrading their existing capacity to attack people.

“Apply the diplomatic pressures needed to stem the free flow of light arms and assault weapons across the West African sub-region and our borders. By doing this, we will severely restrict the capacity for terrorists to re-arm themselves to execute attacks,” he added.

“Greatly reducing the numbers of out-of-school children on our streets and improving the economy to create jobs for vast numbers of unemployed Nigerians, thereby reducing the pool from which these terrorists recruit people for their nefarious activities.

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“I firmly believe that these actions will go a long way towards reducing incidents of insecurity and providing the secure environment needed for economic growth.

“And I commit to implementing these initiatives if Nigerians trust me with their mandate and elect me as their president next month.”