Pascal Nnorli, the manager of the Abuja-Kaduna train services, has been detained by the Department of State Services (DSS) on suspicion of leaking a confidential security document that forewarned of a potential bandit attack on the Abuja-Kaduna railway.

The DSS had reportedly on Wednesday alerted the Nigerian Railway Corporation to a bandit conspiracy to assault the train route between Abuja and Kaduna at any given moment.

The state police issued a message to train passengers advising them to exercise caution when travelling. The memo was signed by R.N. Adepemu, Director of the DSS, FCT Command.

A source from the Nigerian Railway Corporation told our correspondent over the weekend that the manager, Victor Adamu, the operations manager, and other employees had all been taken into custody.

According to the source as reported by the Vanguard, the arrest was related to the DSS memo leak.

As per the source: “Do you know that they have been arresting 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 claims 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.”

Another source said, “While I do not possess all the details surrounding my boss’s arrest, I recognize the necessity of agency like DSS in preserving national security. As an organization handling essential public transportation, we must prioritize the safety of our passengers and ensure that sensitive information does not fall into the wrong hands.”

When contacted, the Managing Director, NRC, Fidet Okhiria, did not take calls or reply text messages. 

Vanguard reports that the Abuja-Kaduna train service is one of the major transport corridors connecting the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to Kaduna State, witnessing heavy passenger traffic regularly.

The security arrangements for this route have always been a priority for the authorities, given the significant number of commuters who rely on this mode of transport.