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By Christopher Oji
The Nigeria Police Force (NPC) has beefed up security around the railway corridors, in an effort to reduce vandalism and theft of railway infrastructure nationwide.
The Commissioner of Police, Railway Police Command, Mrs. Yetunde Longe, told Daily Sun that the measure became necessary to checkmate criminals on the railroads.
She said 15 suspects were arrested for vandalising railway property, adding that the success of the command was due to Citizen-Police partnership.
Longe added that the war against railway vandalism is a continuous one until the entire Nigerian railroads are free from vandals and criminal elements, as perpetrators would be made to face the full wrath of the law.
“The Command in the month of July and August, arrested 15 suspects for crimes bordering around theft, vandalism 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, four suspects, Michael Chukwuebuka, Chigozie Augustine, Onyekachi Abba, and Chukwuma Adumoha, were arrested in connection with 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 vandalised about 72 rail track irons. At the sight of the policemen, the suspects fled the scene and abandoned their truck vehicle. After intense investigation, the suspects were arrested and charged to court. Both have been remanded in Ikoyi Correctional Centre.
“While the Ilorin division of the Command, Kwara State, also apprehended two suspected vandals- Yahaya Mohammed and Jumai Sule, with 113 pandrol clips at the Sabongida area of Jebba, during a routine patrol, Gombe division also arrested one Bashir Abudullahi, who was caught in the act of vandalising and stealing 58 railway clips.
“Two trucks belonging to Dangote Sugar were spotted in Kaduna, loaded with an 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.”
