Thirteen railway vandals have been apprehended in Nigeria by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), with stolen rails worth N800 million. The arrests were made in various areas of Kaduna State, including Manchock, Kaura LGA, Zonkwa, Zango Kataf LGA, and Kaffanchan, Jama’a LGA. The suspects were found in possession of a significant quantity of long rails and sleepers. The NSCDC shared this information on their official Twitter page on August 22.
In another incident, the Nigerian Army in Doma, Nasarawa State, rejected a bribe of N5 million from suspected rail track vandals in the Angwan Yara area of Keana Local Government Area. The vandals were arrested and are currently in the custody of the Nigerian Army. The rejection of the bribe was confirmed by Maj. Joseph Afolasade, the acting spokesperson of the Doma Command, during a press briefing on June 30.
Earlier, on May 27, the police command in Nasarawa paraded some suspects believed to be involved in the vandalization of railway tracks. Among those arrested were an aide to Governor Abdullahi Sule, a Chinese national named Marta Thai, and Tunga Maje, the manager of Yong Xing steel company in Abuja. According to the police commissioner, Bola Longe, the arrested suspects, including some security officers, have been buying and selling railway tracks and sleepers obtained from vandals.
Similarly, on May 15, the police command in Kaduna state apprehended individuals involved in sabotaging the federal government. The officers recovered two truckloads of locomotive railway sleepers from the suspects in Dalle Village of Jema’a local government area. Mohammed Jalige, the spokesperson of the police command, stated that the arrests were carried out based on reliable intelligence.
In response to the increasing incidents of railway vandalism, Rotimi Amaechi, the minister of transportation, has called for harsher punishment for those found guilty. He suggested that individuals responsible for fatal accidents caused by their actions should be charged with manslaughter.
The arrests and seizures of stolen railway materials demonstrate the commitment of security agencies to protect critical infrastructure in the country. The Nigerian government, in collaboration with law enforcement agencies, is intensifying efforts to deter criminals from vandalizing valuable railway assets. These acts of vandalism not only endanger lives but also disrupt transportation systems essential for Nigeria’s economic development.
