The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) has described as “obviously doctored” a video clip showing four people purportedly pushing one of the trains set to be deployed for passenger operations under the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Blue Line.
According to a statement by LAMATA’s Corporate Communication Consultant, Mr Kolawole Ojelabi, investigation revealed that “the train was clearly moving, and this is an old video clip showing the contractor’s staff horsing around the train when it first came. The area now, since the commissioning by President Muhammadu Buhari, has flags all around it as well as steel protective guard. Posting this video at this time is obviously the work of mischief makers”.
Ojelabi further said: “The average length of the train is 84 metres. This, definitely, cannot be pushed by four people as shown in the video clip”. While it appealled to the online community to be “wary of those who are bent on doing everything to discredit this rail project”, LAMATA spokesman said that the agency had successfully carried over 15,000 people on test rides over the past six weeks, without any incident.
“For those who have interacted with the rail system, it is obviously a game changer”, Ojelabi further said.
