Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ekiti state, Kayode Fayemi and Governor Nasiru Elrufai during the visit in Kaduna
The Nigeria Governors Forum has donated fifty million naira to the victims of Kaduna-Abuja train attack.
Chairman of the forum and Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, announced the donation while leading a two-man delegation of the Forum to Kaduna State to commiserate with the Government and people of the state on the recent Abuja-Kaduna train attack, which claimed many lives, with several other people kidnapped.
Governor Fayemi expressed deep sympathy with Kaduna State and its people, describing the attack as “mind-boggling”.
“Because of the huge number of casualties and other fatalities, the criminals were audacious enough to also take away some hostages which is a concern to the state of insecurity in the country,” the NGF chairman frowned.
Dr Fayemi said the attack was the handiwork of some enemies of the state, whose aim, he insisted, was to distract Governor El-rufai from transforming Kaduna State.
He promised that the Forum will continue to interface with President Buhari as regards the challenges of insecurity, in order to ensure peace in the country.
“The Northwest of the country had been a region of calm before now but whatever it is, Governors will continue to put heads together along with the President to bring sanity back to the country,” he pledged.
Responding, Governor El-Rufai commended the leadership of the Forum and disclosed that 61 victims of the train attack were still recuperating in hospital, including a top government official and his eight months pregnant wife.
According to him, the bandits are currently hiding somewhere in Niger State.
Governor El-Rufai described the train attack as “avoidable”, saying it was regrettable because the state government had tipped off the Nigeria Railways Corporation before the deadly attack.
Reporting by Nehemiah Anini; Editing by Daniel Adejo and Tony Okerafor