- Says Railway Police Chief was properly briefed before moving train coaches for repairs
By Demilade Aderibigbe
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced that the first set of coaches which was alleged to have been stolen from its Maiduguri yard actually got to its Jos, Plateau State running shed for general repair on October 10, 2023.
A statement by the Nigerian Railway Corporation Fidet Okhiria on Sunday, stated that the viral video purported to have emanated from NTA had alleged that police had intercepted some criminals trying to steal a train coach at the Maiduguri Railway Station.
Okhiria, who spoke exclusively with The Nation from China, said the coach in question was actually heading to Jos for repair ahead of its deployment on the rail corridor to enhance the Mass Transit Train Shuttle (MTTS), which is meant to help alleviate the impact of the fuel subsidy removal on the masses.
He said the RDM Maiduguri in a photograph was seen successfully handing over the coaches to his Jos counterpart when the coach got to its destination last week.
The statement reads: “The attention of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has been drawn to a news trending on numerous social media platforms purported to have emanated from Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), in which it was reported that attempt was made to steal NRC coaches from Maiduguri.
“NRC management wishes to clarify this erroneous reportage by stating that the said coaches are officially being moved to NRC running shed in Jos, Plateau State to be overhauled and putting them back to operation. NRC is trying to extend Rail Mass Transit all over the country.
He further disclosed that the Railway management in a letter Ref. NO.MDP.70Nol.30/127 written by the Managing Director Fidet Okhiria, on the 13th of October, to the Commissioner of Police, Nigerian Railway Police Command, had intimated the police of the Corporation’s plan to overhaul all its rolling stocks located in all of its districts, with a view to getting them ready for deployment in areas of need.
“You may wish to note that the recent removal of subsidy on premium motor spirit (PMS) impacted the cost of transportation among others. The NRC is of the view that making more rail routes available will subsidize greatly the cost of transportation and thereby reducing the hardship experienced by commuters.”
This informed the need for the overhaul of some of our non-functional rolling stock.
However, the expertise required for the overhaul of the rolling stock, the statement stated, is not available in Maiduguri, hence the need for the movement of 9SPA coaches, 1DRC and 1BVA from Maiduguri to Jos.
He urged the CP to, “render all possible assistance to ensure a smooth movement and delivery of the rolling stocks from Maiduguri to Jos.”
