More intrigues as Borno residents protest evacuation of train coaches, state govt backs them

The contentious evacuation of train coaches out of the state has prompted people of Maiduguri’s Goidamgari and Railway Terminus general area to go to the streets in protest.

As a result, Borno State government, led by governor Babagana Zulum, on Sunday lent its support to the protest.

Earlier, a drama had ensued when some trucks at the weekend stormed the Railway Station and loaded quite a number of coaches, before Police authorities arrested six persons, and deflated the tyres of the trucks, even as the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) authorities in Abuja issued a statement that the coaches were to be evacuated to Jos, Plateau State for official overhauling

Even though the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, or NSCDC, acknowledged receiving a formal notification about the coaches’ evacuation, the police argued that no such communication had occurred, leading to the arrest and detention of the offenders.

Thousands of angry residents later stormed the train station on Sunday morning with signs reading, “We want our Railway coaches back, No to evacuation of Railway facilities from Maiduguri,” among other statements.

READ ALSO:NRC debunks reports of theft of railway coaches in Borno

Governor Zulum, who was represented by his deputy, Umar Kadafur, told the demonstrators that his administration would not permit any Railway facilities to be evacuated out of the state and would instead work diligently to restore them.

“We are here to identify with your concern as law abiding citizens. We want to assure you that Borno State Government will not allow any of the Railway facilities to move even an inch out of Maiduguri Station.

“Borno is the only state in the federation that borders three different countries of Niger, Chad and Cameroun, and so, Railway servcies is key to enhance trans -Saharan trade. Therefore apart from halting the evacuation of these coaches, Borno State Government will ensure that other coaches that were evacuated in one way or the other are returned back to Maiduguri.” Kadafur said.

He however appealed to the protesting crowd to be calm, law-abiding and peaceful, as government would take decisive action to halt evacuation of Railway facilities henceforth.

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