RESUMPTION OF TRAIN RIDES: I’m more worried about COVID-19 spread than insecurity –Gov El-Rufai 

The Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai has stated that he is more worried about the spread of the dreaded COVID-19 disease as train rides resume into the state, than issue of insecurity along the routes.

Governor El-Rufai who revealed this on Saturday while briefing journalists at the test run operation trip of the Nigeria Railways Corporation (NRC) in Kaduna, said that the highway is well protected and there has not been a kidnapping case there since October last year.

According to him, security is not an issue on the Abuja-Kaduna rail service but getting the people to obey the Federal Government’s COVID-19 guidelines is the main task at hand.

He said: “The train is secure, the train is well protected, even the Abuja-Kaduna highway is well protected, and there has not been a kidnapping case there since October last year.

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“So, I am not worried about security. What I want to appeal to people that’ll use the train is to ensure that they keep physical distancing, wash their hands as the COVID-19 is still very much around.

“Infections are rising, and the fastest way to get it is a congested train.

“So we must be very careful, we must not insist on going on the train if it is up to the capacity and everyone must wear his face mask before entering the train, throughout the train ride and after.

“That’s what I’ll appeal to everyone because this disease is still with us, we have not reached the peak, and when we reach the peak it comes down, and there is likely to be a second wave,” Governor El-Rufai added.

This came days after three communities in Jema’a and Kaura Local Government Areas of the Southern Kaduna area of Kaduna State were attacked by suspected herdsmen on Friday night.

Not less than nine persons where killed, while eleven others were said to have sustained varying degrees of injuries during the attack.

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