The Lagos State Government has presented two pick-up trucks to the Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC, to strengthen security along rail corridors in the state as well as improve the safety of passengers and staff.
The vehicles were formally handed over to the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the NRC, Doctor Kayode Opeifa, at the Mobolaji Johnson Train Station, Alagomeji.
They are to support the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Commands attached to the NRC as part of efforts to strengthen the protection of railway infrastructure, passengers and operations.
In his remarks at the handing over ceremony, Doctor Opeifa thanked the Lagos State Government for the intervention aimed at Strengthening Rail Security, noting that the safety of passengers and protection of railway assets remain a top priority for the corporation.
“There is nothing serious to say that it improves the mobility of the security operators so
that they can quickly move to the site of crime. And it also allows them to proactively prevent it. Because when these vehicles are on patrol, those criminals, those people who want to
do something stupid, we understand that there’s always a patrol around this area and the police can come” Opeifa stated.
He said the donation which is not a one-off intervention of the State Government to the corporation in commitment of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration, would boost the mobility of security personnel attached to the NRC and improve response time to incidents along train routes and stations.
“It also boosts the morale of the officer it gives them confidence and it also deter the criminal so with this increasing we don’t know maybe the Governor isn’t going to give us more because it actually needs about 10 to patrol Lagos by the time we have all this don’t forget the Lagos State Government also has another level of security on this street through LAMATA”, he said.
Representatives of the Police and NSCDC who said Security is a Shared Responsibility noted that the donation of vehicles which would be used judiciously by the commands aligned with collaborative efforts to protect critical infrastructure and ensure safe transportation for Lagosians.
The Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer, Lagos State Security Trust Fund, LSSTF, Ayodele Ogunsan, while presenting the Vehicles to corporation, said the Trust Fund remains committed to equipping security agencies with the tools needed to safeguard lives and property.
Ogunsan said security and transportation were closely connected, noting that the LSSTF had supported security operations in the air, on waterways and across the land transport system.
He assured Lagos residents, particularly rail users, that the Fund would pay greater attention to railway stations and ensure that they remained safe for passengers and workers.
According to Ogunsan, Rail transportation is a key component of Lagos’ integrated transport system, saying the vehicles would enable the Police and NSCDC to patrol, respond faster, and deter criminal activities around the rail lines.
He, however, appealed to the police and other security agencies to take proper ownership of the donated vehicles and use them strictly for patrol and security operations.
According to him, each vehicle costs more than N50 million, stressing that misuse of the assets could affect future support from the Fund.
Ogunsan also explained that the LSSTF is donor-funded and does not receive regular subvention from the Lagos State Government, relying largely on voluntary contributions from individuals, residents and the private sector.
He urged Lagosians and corporate organisations to continue supporting the Fund, assuring that increased donations would translate into more security interventions across the state.
Ogunsan further disclosed that the LSSTF had established a monitoring unit to track the use and condition of security vehicles provided to agencies, warning that agencies found to be mismanaging the assets could lose access to future support.
He pledged to strengthen collaboration with the NRC and remained responsive to the security needs of railway users, describing the partnership as a long-term commitment.
The donation comes amid ongoing efforts by the Federal and Lagos State Governments to expand and secure rail transportation as a safer and more efficient alternative for commuters.
