Abuja-Kaduna Train Manager Arrested Over Leaked Security Memo
Nigeria’s secret Police, the Department of State Services (DSS) has reportedly arrested the Manager of Abuja-Kaduna Kaduna Train Services, Pascal Nnorli.
According to The PUNCH, his arrest followed the leakage of a memo warning of the possible terror attack on the Abuja-Kaduna railway line.
The manager was arrested along with the Operations Manager of the train service, Victor Adamu, and other staff members. However, the report said Adamu was later released.
Naija News House reported on Thursday that the DSS in leaked memo to the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Abuja warned of another planned attack on the Kaduna-Abuja train.
A Kaduna-bound train was attacked in Katari village, Kaduna on March 28, 2022, prompting the corporation to suspend operations along the route for months before resuming a few months ago.
However, in the leaked letter signed by the DSS Director of FCT Command, R.N. Adepemu, entitled, “Security Alert: Impending Threat By A Coalition Of Banditry Syndicate To Attack Abuja-Kaduna Train Service Along AKTS Corridor”, the secret police urged train passengers to be vigilant.
But speaking to the paper on Sunday, an NRC source said, “Do you know that they have arrested our manager since last Thursday – the two of them, the operation manager and Pascal? But they have released one of them.
“Victor is a victim of circumstances because they met him in Pascal’s office, so they arrested him together with all Pascal’s staff and took them to the DSS office. Pascal is still there now.”
The source said the arrest was likely to be in connection with the leakage of the DSS memo.
The source told The PUNCH that the letter, which detailed sensitive information about the attack, was addressed to the Managing Director of the NRC, stressing that it explicitly warned that if the letter were to leak, it could lead to arrests.
“I couldn’t tell why they arrested them but what I am hearing is they said one letter concerning this Abuja-Kaduna attack, they wrote one letter to our Managing Director and it states clearly that if the letter leaks, it can lead to arrest and according to DSS it was Pascal’s office they dropped the letter and the letter leaked and went viral,” the source said.
The Managing Director, NRC, Fidet Okhiria, declined comments when he was reached for reaction.
