In a bid to combat railway vandalism, the Railway Police Command of the Nigerian police force has arrested another 13 suspected railway vandals in the month of May and June 2022.
The Command, while acting on credible tip off by a group of Civilian Joint Task Force on 12th of May 2022, arrested five suspected vandals in Abakwa axis of Kaduna state. They were intercepted while removing and vandalizing rail irons of the Abakwa old rail line with a gas cylinder. The suspects are Abubarkar Ayuba (22), Musa Ibrahim (17), Umar Bello (18), Samaila Rabiu (18), Yahaya Abubakar (18).
Another 3 suspects were similarly arrested for vandalism of standard gauge rail Pandrol clips property of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC)/Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC). The suspects, Benedict Matthew (20), Ismalia Ibrahim (18), and Abdullahi Iliyasu (20) were arrested on 17th of June 2022. Exhibits recovered from them include: 10 sacks of vandalized standard gauge rail pandrol clip Irons, measuring scale, and hammer.
The Minna Division of the Railway Police Command also arrested three persons with Two hundred and twenty Pandrol clips. The suspects Abdulrazak abubakar, Khamisu Abba, Abdulganiyu Abubakar were arrested at kilometer 735, along Korota Village, Maikunkele Beji section.
The Kafanchan Railway Police Division upon credible information also intercepted a truck loaded with vandalized railway iron rails tucked away in a bush at Unguwar Yawa Village, Zango Kataf Local Government Kaduna State. The truck with registration number BCH-933 XA belonging to Dangote Cement Company was loaded with 96 Pieces of standard gauge Rail irons. One suspect has been arrested in connection to the incident while investigations have been heightened to apprehend other accomplices at large.
In Abeokuta, at Alagada village axis, two men Idowu Abiodun and David Titus both 24 years old were apprehended by men of the Abeokuta division while vandalizing rail tracks upon an information by a member of the village. Railway pandrol clips were recovered from the suspects as exhibits. The suspects have however been charged to court.
The Commissioner of Police, Railway Police Command, CP Yetunde Longe while confirming the arrests of the said suspects in various parts of the country, stressed the importance of Citizen-Police Partnership and Community Policing in the securing of lives and properties.
CP Longe added that no stone will be left unturned in the war against Railway vandalism as perpetrators arrested will be made to face the wrath of the law to its full extent.
