The governor of Kogi State, Yayaha Bello has alleged that terrorists made over N2 billion from ransom payment by families of the ill-fated Kaduna-Abuja train attack that occurred in March 2022

The tragedy resulted in the killings of security agents and kidnapping of several passengers whose families were made to pay ransom to secure the release of their relatives from captivity.

Governor Bello who disclosed this on Tuesday when he featured on NTA Good morning Nigerians breakfast show tagged, “Role of Governors in national security”, however fail to provide details of how he arrived at his findings.

The Governor who sympathized with the people and Government of Kaduna State and families who lost their lives in the attack, denounced claims in the public space that security votes breed corruption.

He said, “The Kaduna-Ubuja train attack where bandits made over N2 billion from this unfortunate incident. If governor Nasir El-Rufai had said he spent N10 billion in a day to secure the rail tracks and prevent that incident from happening, and peradventure, one of his political opponent lays hands on the record; Oh, governor El-Rufai spends N10 billon in one day on security or security related matters, Nigeria would have been calling governor El-Rufai all sorts of names”.

But that could have been spent to prevent the unfortunate incident. That aside, the lived that were gone. How much has been lost by the railway since the train attack occurred? Can you quantify the psychological trauma that the families of the train victims went through at this period monetarily. No, you can. It is easy for those who are not in the office to say a lot about the office of a Governor.

“Since I assumed office on January 27th 2016 as Governor of Kogi State, I haven’t ran to Mr. President to come to my rescue. But, I have reasons to do so. Why was I elected as a leader? Why I am a man? A man is meant to face challenges and solve it.

“I appreciate God Almighty, Mr. President and the various security heads that we have in this Country. I came out with clean hands that I have no other interest. If you were from my tribe, other religion or a member of my political party, or whatever you are or close to me and you are involved in one crime or the other, you will face the music.

“The security heads that I meant on ground. They were walking at cross purpose, but I changed that. I brought them together. I was able to get rid of those who were not willing to come to terms with the new order and reality.

“The reason why I am appreciating the Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces is that he was able to talk to them to give me the support and secure lives and livelihood. And that was enough for me from the beginning.

“Every head of security agencies posted to Kogi State knows that they will meet a new culture that is different from where you are coming from. You have to key to the security architecture in the State.

Recall that Governor El-Rufai had denied rumours that government entered into a swap deal with the terrorists to secure the release of the hostages; Just as the Nigerian military claim of securing the release of a significant number of the hostages unconditionally.

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