Again, not less than 13 suspected railway vandals have been arrested by the Railway Police Command of the Nigerian Police Force.
Confirming some arrests made in the month of May and June 2022, the Commissioner of Police, Railway Police Command, CP. Yetunde Longe said suspects were arrested in various parts of the country, noting the importance of Citizen-Police Partnership and Community Policing in the securing of lives and properties.
Giving breakdown of the arrests, Command said, “On 12th of May 2022, men of the Railway Police Command upon credible tip off by a group of Civilian Joint Task Force arrested five suspected vandals in Abakwa axis of Kaduna State. They were intercepted while removing and vandalising rail irons of the Abakwa old rail line with a gas cylinder.
The suspects caught in connection with the alledged act are: Abubarkar Ayuba 22, Musa Ibrahim 17, Umar Bello 18, Samaila Rabiu 18, and Yahaya Abubakar 18.
In a similar incident, another three suspects were arrested for vandalism of standard gauge rail Pandrol clips property of the Nigeria Railway Corporation, NRC/Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Company, CCECC.
Those alledged to have vandalised the property are Benedict Matthew, 20, Ismalia Ibrahim, 18, and Abdullahi Iliyasu, 20, were arrested on 17th of June, 2022.
Among exhibits said to have been recovered from the suspects include: 10 sacks of vandalised standard gauge rail pandrol clip irons, measuring scale, and hammer.
The Minna Division of the Railway Police Command also arrested three persons with 220 Pandrol clips.
The suspects includes, Abdulrazak Abubakar, Khamisu Abba, Abdulganiyu Abubakar who were said to have been arrested at kilometer 735, along Korota Village, Maikunkele Beji section.
The Kafanchan Railway Police Division also intercepted a truck loaded with vandalised railway iron rails tucked away in a bush at Unguwar Yawa Village, Zango Kataf Local Government Kaduna State, following a tip-off, the Command noted.
The truck with registration number BCH 933 XA belonging to Dangote Cement Company was loaded with 96 pieces of standard gauge rail irons.
A suspect has been arrested in connection with 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 who are 24 years old respectively were apprehended by men of the Abeokuta division while vandalising 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.
Meanwhile CP Longe has assured 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.
