Tinubu Approves Additional Train Coaches, Security Equipment to Tackle Banditry

President Bola Tinubu has approved the acquisition of additional train coaches and security equipment to strengthen railway operations and combat banditry, kidnapping and vandalism targeting rail infrastructure across the country.

The approval covers additional coaches to increase passenger and freight capacity, as well as surveillance systems to improve railway security, protect passengers and safeguard critical infrastructure.

The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Funso Adebiyi, disclosed this on Saturday during an inspection of the Kano-Maradi railway project.

Adebiyi said the ministry was also training railway workers to ensure they could operate and maintain the new coaches upon delivery.

He was accompanied on the inspection by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Transportation and Mobility, Prince Adetokunbo Ademola Ade-John, and other government officials. The team also inspected the casting of a bridge beam along the railway corridor.

The permanent secretary described insecurity as a major challenge to railway operations, noting that attacks on rail infrastructure disrupt services, endanger passengers and railway workers, and increase maintenance costs.

He cited the Abuja-Kaduna railway corridor as an example of the security challenges confronting the country’s rail network, stressing the need for improved surveillance and protective measures.

“I’m glad to inform you that Mr President has given the go-ahead for us to embark on the acquisition of surveillance security equipment all across the country, and we are working around the clock to ensure this,” Adebiyi said.

The planned acquisition is expected to strengthen security across the railway network, while the additional coaches are intended to expand the system’s capacity to transport passengers and goods.

The initiative forms part of efforts to address security threats to railway operations and improve the safety and efficiency of rail transportation in Nigeria.