The Abuja-Kaduna train service
has received a boost in its operations as a result of the activities of
kidnappers along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway.
The rush for train is so intense
that securing a first-class ticket has become so difficult.
President Muhammadu Buhari
inaugurated the train line in July 2016 but its patronage was low until 2018
when activities of kidnappers increased on the expressway.
Passengers could now be seen
standing during the trip which is a little over two hours.
Many passengers have been
abducted with millions of naira paid as ransom.
Last week, Mohammad Abubakar,
chairman, board of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), and his
daughter, were among over 20 people abducted.
Despite measures put in place by
the security agencies, activities of the kidnappers have gone unabated.
When Idu
train station was visited in Abuja on Friday,
passengers had a hard time getting tickets.
 |
| Entrance of Idu station |
A passenger, who simply
identified himself as Joshua, said he had been at the train station since 8am
trying to get ticket for a train scheduled to move at 2pm.
“I have been here since 8:00 am
and I haven’t gotten tickets for the 2:00pm train. We have been given numbers
and they said they will start selling tickets by 11:00am,” he said angrily.
 |
| Passengers in a long queue to purchase ticket |
“Why would they not make the
purchase of these tickets online, it will be easier. I think since the Chinese
people still have a stake they want it this way.
“The kidnappings on the road have
worsened the situation. I was in Kaduna last week and I had to stand from
Rigasa to Abuja. The situation is just sad.”
When the ticket sales finally
begun, Joshua who was number 50 in the queue was the person to buy the last
first-class ticket.
“They said they have finished
selling the first class tickets. You can imagine they started selling tickets
at 10:59am and 40 minutes later first class tickets have finished,” he
lamented.
Another passenger, who simply
identified himself as Ibrahim, said he witnessed some very important
personalities (VIP) who boarded the 8:00am train without purchasing tickets.
“Just this morning two coaster
buses conveying VIPs boarded the first train to Kaduna, I didn’t see them
purchase tickets,” he said.
Ordinarily, the buses would have
conveyed them to Abuja but the high rate of insecurity on the road has left
many with no other option but the train.
CHAOS PURCHASING TICKETS
The police officers and station
security assigned to curb the activities hoodlums buying tickets and reselling
at exorbitant prices had a difficult time keeping passengers in line.
It was usual to see passengers
shout and scream at those trying to shunt the queue.
At one instance, a lady in the
queue attempted to use a brick to assault a station security official whom she
accused of allowing a passenger shunt the queue.
It took the intervention of some
police officers to calm her. No official at the station was willing to speak to
react to the events witnessed.
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