FG Considers Death Penalty for Railway Vandals
AMaechi
There are strong indications that the federal government is considering capital punishment for those caught vandalizing railway tracks.
Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi made this indication during a Town Hall Meeting on ”Protecting Public Infrastructure ” on Monday in Abuja.
News Agency of Nigeria reports Amaechi saying rail track vandalism should be seen as a capital offense, adding that its consequences should be treated as such.
He argued that if armed robbery attracts life imprisonment, rail track vandalism should equally attract equal punishment.
He disclosed that track vandalism is being perpetrated in collaboration with foreign partners.
Amaechi said, ”I am not quantifying the material cost; what I am quantifying is the lives that will be lost.
”Imagine that a driver of a rail track is driving and suddenly bumps into a track that has been severed what happens? It will derail.
”Each coach in Nigeria carries about 85 passengers, sometimes we carry 14 coaches, sometimes 20.
”So imagine you are carrying a train of 14 or 20 coaches with 85 passengers in each coach, if it derails, can you quantify how many passengers that would have died in the course of one man thinking he is making money.
”So, it is not about the cost but the lives that would have been lost because of few interest.
”Some people have recommended that since this people are killing people, if accident happens people will die, so we should go back to the National Assembly and pass a law that does not only criminalise the action but consequences should be death.
”In Jos they arrested a Chinese company that bought those tracks from them, went to court and court found them guilty and fined them N200, 000.
”So there must be consequences as N200,000 is not enough.”
Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi made this indication during a Town Hall Meeting on ”Protecting Public Infrastructure ” on Monday in Abuja.
News Agency of Nigeria reports Amaechi saying rail track vandalism should be seen as a capital offense, adding that its consequences should be treated as such.
He argued that if armed robbery attracts life imprisonment, rail track vandalism should equally attract equal punishment.
He disclosed that track vandalism is being perpetrated in collaboration with foreign partners.
Amaechi said, ”I am not quantifying the material cost; what I am quantifying is the lives that will be lost.
”Imagine that a driver of a rail track is driving and suddenly bumps into a track that has been severed what happens? It will derail.
”Each coach in Nigeria carries about 85 passengers, sometimes we carry 14 coaches, sometimes 20.
”So imagine you are carrying a train of 14 or 20 coaches with 85 passengers in each coach, if it derails, can you quantify how many passengers that would have died in the course of one man thinking he is making money.
”So, it is not about the cost but the lives that would have been lost because of few interest.
”Some people have recommended that since this people are killing people, if accident happens people will die, so we should go back to the National Assembly and pass a law that does not only criminalise the action but consequences should be death.
”In Jos they arrested a Chinese company that bought those tracks from them, went to court and court found them guilty and fined them N200, 000.
”So there must be consequences as N200,000 is not enough.”
FOLLOW US
About Post Author
