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The House of Representatives has called Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of Transportation; Hadi Sirika, the Minister of Aviation; and Lucky Irabor, the Chief of Defence Staff, over the attack on Kaduna Airport and the Abuja-Kaduna train on Wednesday.
This decision was made after Nnolim Nnaji (PDP, Enugu) moved a resolution of urgent national concern at plenary on Tuesday.
Mr. Nnoli’s motion was revised to include the bombing of a train going for Kaduna on Monday..
The Chief of Army Staff, Faruk Yahaya; Chief of Air Staff (the Director-General of Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria (FAAN); the Managing Director of Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Fidet Okhiria; the Inspector General of Police, Usman Akali; the National Security Adviser, Mohammed Monguno and others, are also to appear before the House.
The House of Representatives has directed its leadership to meet with the authorities on Wednesday.
Recall, Ayekooto reported that terrorist bandits rigged the tracks with explosives, inflicting damage to the Kaduna-bound train and shooting intermittently at the passengers on board.
Many people have been killed or kidnapped, and many more have been injured in various ways.
The NRC had also announced that railway services to Kaduna would be suspended.
The train attack came less than 72 hours after terrorists attempted to infiltrate the Kaduna Airport’s security perimeter, killing one person.
Mr. Nnaji, Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation, cautioned that unless immediate action is done, the problem could spread to other airports around the country.
He eminded his colleagues about a similar attack on the same Kaduna Airport in 2021, which led in the kidnapping of 12 people.
“It surprises me and truly troubles me as a person that this thing could happen in the Federal Fepublic of Nigeria. This thing that happened – that truly happened – actually challenged to us as a nation.
It is regrettable, according to Luke Onofiok (PDP, Akwa-Ibom), that governance has been pushed aside in favor of politics in the run-up to the 2023 general elections.
Mr Onofiok said: “My call this morning is for every one of us, from the executive to the legislature, from the federal to the state and local government, to come together for us to proffer solutions and provide security for Nigerians, which is the primary objective of government.
“Those who used to go to Kaduna by road became challenged because of kidnappings on the Abuja-Kaduna road. Then, the railway and trains came but they are being challenged today.”
The House Whip, Mohammed Monguno (APC, Borno), spoke in favor of the resolution, urging the federal government to declare a state of emergency in the security sector.
Before questioning the motion, Deputy Speaker Idris Wase (APC, Plateau) stated that the committee would meet with officials on Wednesday.
Fatimah Oyesanmi
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