The Federal Government said yesterday it would soon unveil the identities of those behind the attack on the Abuja-Kaduna bound train.
The government also blamed the unfortunate incident on what it described as unholy handshake between Boko Haram and bandits operating within the area.
It said that although security agencies were still working hard to unveil the group behind the attack, preliminary report showed that the criminal groups were collaborating, urging Nigerians to also collaborate with government to smoke them out.
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Recall that Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State had revealed that the attack on the train was carried out by Boko Haram terrorists, working in collaboration with some bandits operating in Kaduna, Zamfara, Sokoto Niger, and Kebbi states.
But responding to questions from State House correspondents at the end of the weekly Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday, the Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi, retd, and his Information and Culture counterpart, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, assured that government was on top of the matter.
Magashi, while responding to a question on whether government had identified those behind the attack, said: “Honestly, I think the security chiefs are working hard to unveil those involved, and we will tell you very soon those carrying out these attacks.
“On both attacks in Jos and Kaduna, we will come and explain to the public what is really going on and our efforts to ensure that all these activities are stopped once and for all. We are really on top of the situation, we are planning hard and we will get it out as soon as possible.”
On his part, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Mohammed, said: “What is happening now is that there is a kind of an unholy handshake between bandits and Boko Haram insurgents.
“Preliminary reports of what transpired at the Kaduna train attacks showed that there is a kind of collaboration between the bandits and the dislodged Boko Haram terrorists from the northeast. I can tell you very confidently that the Federal Government is on the top of this matter.
On the 72 hours ultimatum by families of victims on train attack to secure their release or they take their fate in their hands, and what government was doing to meet the ultmatum, Mohammed said: “I think the Minister of Defense has already addressed the issues. “One, what the Federal Government is doing won’t be subject matter of a press conference, because we have lives at stake.
“The various arms of security are working night and day to unravel the mystery surrounding the attack as a whole. On the kidnapped people, what I can assure you is that the respective arms of government are working to get those victims released.
“It’s natural for anybody, who is a father or a mother of a kidnap person to be worried and to be concerned. But at the level of government, we appreciate that and we are leaving no stone unturned, but we’ll not give you the specific steps we’re taking.
“I think it will be counter-productive and will not help those who were kidnapped or help the security forces, who are tracing and ensuring that there’ll be no repeat of such attacks.”
Vanguard News Nigeria
