Abuja-Kaduna bound train attack: Angry Reps turn back representatives of Service Chiefs

The leadership of the House of Representatives led by the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Ahmed Wase declined meeting with the representatives of the service chiefs, insisting that the service chiefs must appear in person to explain the circumstances surrounding the attacks involving an Abuja-Kaduna train service and the invasion of Kaduna Airport by suspected bandits.

The leadership of the House had on Tuesday summoned the service chiefs and ministers of relevant ministries and agencies to appear before it in conjunction with the chairmen of the committees on aviation, security and intelligence, police affairs, army, airforce, defence, and land transport.

Those invited by the House were the ministers of aviation and transport, the National security adviser, chief of defence staff, chief of army staff, Director-General of the Department of State Service and the Inspector General of Police.

Others were the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, the Managing Director, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency and the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation.

The meeting was to give the ministers and the service chiefs the opportunity to explain to the parliament the circumstances surrounding the attacks involving an Abuja-Kaduna train and the invasion of Kaduna airport by suspected bandits.

However, all the ministers and the service chiefs failed to appear before the house on Wednesday citing outside engagements.

The Deputy Speaker who chaired the special committee expressed disappointment at the inability of the service chiefs to appear before the committee. He said the House cannot proceed with the meeting insisting that the accounting officers must be in attendance.

“We appreciate the concern by Mr. President to address this matter, but we also believe that their presence here for a few minutes would not reduce anything in terms of what it should be.

“As a parliament, we have always been cooperative with the President, to ensure the safety of our people and as a parliament we are worried, we needs to see commiserate result.

“As our Armed Forces, we respect you and we honour you but let us come together and put our heads as people concerned and as Nigerians to find a solution to these problems”, he said.

The meeting was adjourned to Thursday 31 March 2022 by 3pm.