Kaduna state Governor Nasir El Rufai has admitted the Nigerian authorities know the camps, the identities and listen to the conversations of the armed groups terrorising large swaths of the North-west region.
The governor spoke after some terrorists ambushed and attacked a Kaduna bound train coming from Abuja Monday evening.
At least eight people were killed during the attack which lasted for almost two hours.
Several passengers sustained gunshot injuries while a yet-to-be determined number of people were kidnapped by the gunmen.
El-Rufai was speaking at an event attended by the transportation minister, Rotimi Amaechi, to update Nigerians on what the government was doing to stem the tide of banditry in the state after Monday’s deadly attack.
The governor explained why the military has not bombed the bandits despite knowing their whereabouts and listening to their conversations.
“We know where their camps are. We know their camps, we have the maps; we know everything. We have their phone numbers and listen to their conversation sometimes. But it has to be done across the five states,” he said.
The governor explained the military was originally reluctant to bomb the camps of the bandits to avoid civilian collateral damage, adding however that since a Nigerian court has declared them terrorists, the rule of engagement has changed.
“This is war,” he said.
“We know what they (terrorists) are planning. We get the reports. The problem is for the agencies to take action. Don’t wait until they attack before you respond. The Army should go after their enclaves to wipe them out. Let the Air Force bomb them,” he said.
The visibly angry governor lamented that despite the fact that the Department of State Service (DSS) has informants all over the place sourcing information for the service, such attacks still happened.
Warns against late evening shuttle
Governor El-Rufai also said the attack could have been avoided if the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) had listened to his warning to end late evening shuttles.
He said the state Security Council wrote twice to the NRC on the possibility of suspending the night time shuttle, but the NRC did not listen.
“The last train from Kaduna to Abuja should leave by 4 p.m. so that it will get to Abuja in daylight,” he said.
“If anything is to happen, the response time will be quick, maybe in 30 minutes. When something happens, the response time will be faster in the daytime,” the governor said.
The managing director of the NRC, Fidet Okhiria, confirmed that the state government warned the corporation.
“They wrote to us; they suspected they wanted to attack the train, but that was in December/January. But we looked at it and said if there is something like that, they should find a solution to it and stopping the train is not the solution.
“And we don’t run night train. The last train leaves in the evening. We believe if we stop the running of trains, it means the terrorists have won,” the MD told Daily Trust.
Source: Premium Times
‘No bandits’ barricade on Kaduna-Abuja road’
Meanwhile, the Kaduna state government has debunked rumours that bandits Thursday barricaded a portion of Kaduna-Abuja highway.
Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs Samuel Aruwan stated this in Kaduna.
He said “A few hours ago, some panic was spread on social media over bandits barricading the Kaduna-Abuja Road and kidnapping citizens plying the route.
“The buzz in circulation is false and was presented by a group of social media enthusiasts who celebrate negative news.
“The preliminary operational feedback showed that fleeing bandits escaping a military onslaught attempted to pass through a narrow corridor around Kasarami general area of Kaduna-Abuja road.
“The troops, on receiving this intelligence, hurriedly moved to the location and engaged them in the adjoining forest.
“The Kaduna state government will update members of the general public when more detailed feedback is received. The Kaduna state government does not deny the existence of security challenges, and continues to work assiduously with relevant military and security agencies.”
