Train attack: Damages will cost N8billion to repair 

The Federal Government said it was working on measures to ensure there are no further attacks on trains, including recruiting villagers to secure the tracks and deploying aircraft and drones.

The police have acquired five additional high-powered unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), otherwise known as drones.

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba, in a statement by the Acting Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, a chief superintendent of police (CSP), said the equipment was part of a policy to integrate the use of innovative technology in law enforcement duties.

”The drones will assist the [olice in monitoring active crime scenes, coordinating response operations, and providing aerial support to responding officers.

”The UAVs include an ALTI Transition, capable of covering up to 150km in a single flight with high endurance of up to 14 hours, and an Elistair Orion fixed-wing aircraft, capable of covering up to 92m altitude with high endurance of up to 50 hours and other sensitive and forensic-based features,” he said.

A police source said most of the drones will be deployed to monitor the Kaduna/Abuja rail track.

Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, said there were plans to work with the Department of State Services (DSS) to employ villagers to man the rail tracks.

He thinks Monday’s attack succeeded because the Airforce could not deploy aircraft to accompany the train due to poor weather.

Amaechi said the Airforce had promised to resume escorting the train when operations resume, pending the installation of the integrated security surveillance and monitoring solution.

He spoke in Kaduna during a visit to the victims.

Amaechi said the damage caused by the attack would require significant expenses to repair. He put the cost at N8billion.

He said: “The level of damage supersedes the request we made for the purchase of equipment that will help install security, especially as it pertains to surveillance.

”We are going to repair the track, between one and a half to two kilometres and that is huge. We are going to replace the locomotives. About one or two of the coaches were damaged. We are going to buy some coaches.