Railway union in Maiduguri condemns arrest of members transporting coaches
The Nigerian Union of Railway Workers (NURW) has strongly criticized the recent arrest of its members by the police in Maiduguri.
The police apprehended several Nigerian Railway Cooperation (NRC) personnel, who also happened to be members of the NURW, at the Maiduguri Railway Terminus on allegations of coach theft.
The arrested individuals, according to the police, failed to identify themselves as NRC employees at the time of their detention. However, NRC’s Managing Director, Mr. Fidet Okhiria, later clarified that they were indeed NRC officials transporting the coaches to NRC’s Running Shed in Jos for maintenance.
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Speaking at a press conference in Jos, Mr. Innocent Ajiji, the National President of NURW, criticized the arrests and vouched for the legitimacy of those caught in the police dragnet. Ajiji stated, “All efforts to release those arrested had proved abortive. The police alleged that the coaches were stolen, but that is not true.”
The prime suspect identified by the police, Engr Aliyu Mainasara, is the Regional District Manager in the Northeast and, as per Ajiji, is not involved in any criminal activity.
The NURW called on the police commissioner to release their members immediately, warning that they would be compelled to halt train services nationwide if their demand was not met. Ajiji emphasized that the coaches in question had been out of use for the past 20 years and were being transferred to Jos for refurbishment and operational use.
Ajiji further explained the dire situation of railway infrastructure due to the activities of Boko Haram, where tracks were destroyed and bridges carted away by the insurgents. He also pointed out that the coaches were essential for the Plateau government’s rail mass transit plan, which would cover areas like Jos, Kuru, and Heipang. Since there were no available coaches in Jos, they needed to be conveyed from Maiduguri for refurbishment and use.
The NRC had officially informed the Borno Commissioner of Police about the necessity of transporting the coaches from Maiduguri to Jos, emphasizing their right to move their facilities for usage.