Police Arrest 14 Suspects for Railway Vandalism

Rebecca Ejifoma

The Railway Police Command of the Nigerian Police Force has arrested 14 suspects in connection with rail tracks vandalism concealing stolen properties of the Nigerian Railway corporation (NRC), armed robbery, and criminal conspiracy across the nation this April.

The Kafanchan Railway Police Division of the command, upon a tip-off by a concerned citizen, intercepted a cement truck laden with railway slippers along Bankin-Kaninkon-Kogi on April 1 this year.

The suspected vandals, according to the police, abandoned the truck and fled the scene upon sighting the police  as exhibits were recovered.

Investigations, however, led to the arrest of Ahmed Tanko of Dangoma Village Jam‘A  L.G.A in Kaduna State.

While he was said to have confessed to the crime, the police said  they were intensifying efforts to apprehend his accomplices who are still at large.

Meanwhile, on April 27, the Kafanchan Divisional Headquarters nabbed six alleged vandals.  They were said to be loading multiple rail steels into two trucks belonging to another cement company.

The suspects include: Sergeant Sirajo Suleiman of the Nigerian Army Central Ammunition Department, Kaduna; Idris Bawa; Idris Musa; Shamsu Abdulahi; Anthony Moses; and Yunana Gaius. 

According to the police, these men were caught in the act in a bush near Camuru Station, Kachia, LGA Kaduna State.

The Kano Division of the Railway Command also apprehended three suspects,  Abdukarim Haruna, Hassan Dahiru, and Bashir Mumuhamed.

Upon their arrest, the police said they recovered 51 railway slippers, 26 rail steels, and several quantities of destroyed rail iron rods, and slippers. The suspects have been charged to court.

Dugbe Railway Police Division, Ibadan the Oyo State capital also arrested a Man O’ War staff identified as Azeez Wahab with a  bag containing 50 NRC tool bolts without a satisfactory account on how he found it. 

This comes as the Offa Division of the Railway Command in Kwara State arrested one Ibukun of Railway Mechanical Department (Diesel Maintenance Section).

He was said to have destroyed and stolen aluminum in one of the unused coaches within the train station premises.

The Minna Divisional Headquarters also apprehended one Aliyu for vandalising railway clips in Minna, Niger state.

In another development, the Bodija Divisional Headquarters of the Railway Command in Ibadan on April 6 this year arrested a 20-year-old armed robbery suspect identified as Abdulahi Fatai aka ‘Akube’. 

Investigations, the police hinted, revealed that the case is connected to another armed robbery suspect who was nabbed last December while going for an operation.

The Railway Police Command Headquarters, CP Yetunde Longe, confirmed the arrests. He noted that the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, has zero tolerance for crime in the country.

He maintained that the IG would not stop the war against crime until all criminal elements are arrested and prosecuted.

Longe also confirmed that some of the arrested suspects have been charged to court while investigations are also being heightened to arrest others on the run.

She further cautioned criminal elements to desist from vandalising government properties especially the railways, pledging that anyone caught would be severely dealt with to the full extent of the law.