Police arrest 15 suspected vandals, beef-up railway security
The Railway Police Command of the Nigerian Police Force has beefed up security around railway corridors in efforts to reduce vandalization and theft of railway infrastructure nationwide.
The Command in the month of July and August, arrested 15 suspects for crimes bordering around theft, vandalization, and other heinous crimes committed in and around the Nigerian Railway Corporation infrastructure.
In Minna, Niger State, three suspects were intercepted by the patrol team of the Railway Police Division upon credible tip-off by members of a vigilante group. The suspects, Hadi Mohammed (42), Abdullahi Mohammed (34), and Abdullahi Shittu (45), were arrested with 32 railway iron slippers loaded in a saloon car.
Similarly in Aba, Abia State, four suspects- Michael Chukwuebuka, Chigozie Augustine, Onyekachi Abba, and Chukwuma Adumoha, were arrested in connection to the theft of railway pandrol slippers kept by Chinese Construction Company (CCECC) for construction. Upon investigation, the stolen items were recovered and handed over to the construction company.
Two fleeing suspects- Ridwan Olalekan and Sharafa Muritala, have also been arrested and charged to court by the Railway Criminal Investigation Department. The suspects were initially spotted in a bush in Akwanga, Nasarawa State, where they vandalized about 72 rail track irons. At the sight of the policemen, the suspects fled the scene and abandoned their truck. After intense investigation, the suspects were arrested and charged to court. Both have been remanded in Ikoyi Correctional Centre.
While, the Ilorin, Kwara State Division of the Command, also apprehended two suspected vandals- Yahaya Mohammed and Jumai Sule with 113 pandrol clips at Sabongida area of Jebba during a routine patrol. Gombe division also arrested one Bashir Abudullahi who was caught in the act of vandalizing and stealing 58 railway clips.
Two trucks belonging to Dangote Sugar were spotted in Kaduna, loaded with unspecified amount of railway irons belonging to the Nigerian Railway Corporation. No suspects have been arrested in connection with the crime. However, the trucks have been moved to safe custody while investigations are ongoing.
The Commissioner of Police, Railway Police Command, Yetunde Longe spoke on the beefing-up of security around the railway corridors and confirmed the arrest of the suspects.
She noted the importance of Citizen-Police partnership in order to bring crime and criminal elements to stand-still
The commissioner added that the war against railway vandalism is a continuous one until the entire Nigerian rail corridors are free from vandals and criminal elements as perpetrators will be made to face the full wrath of the law.
