Railway police arrest 30 suspected vandals
Fthe directives of President Muhammadu Buhari, to all service chiefs to safeguard railway infrastructure across the Federation, the Inspector- General of Police ( IGP), Usman Baba Alkali, has directed Railway Police Command led by CP Yetunde Longe to engage the Direct Action Response Tactics ( DART), to effectively protect the railway corridors from vandals.
Following this directive, the Railway Police Command of the Nigeria Police Force has arrested about 30 suspected railway vandals between September and October 2022. CP Longe said: “On September 8, 2022, acting upon credible information, men of the Railway Police Command swooped on some criminal elements that have been involved in recurrent vandalisation and theft of railway iron sleepers at the section KM 1086 Sheme Town Faskari Local Council of Katsina State; leading to the arrest of 14 suspects.
“It was gathered that the suspects after an exchange of fire with policemen abandoned a trailer with REG NO NASARAWA LFA 307XB and a Sharon car. However, further relentless combing of the crime scene led to the arrest of the suspects on September 10, 2022.
“The suspects are: Muhammed Lawan, 35, Umar Garba, 28, Sahana iliyasu 22, Bashiru abdulrahaman 20, Dauda musa 27, Ahmad sani 21, Muhammed Haruna, 20, Aten Ahmed, Gaddafi bala, 21, Ali Umar, 25, Wudeama Tahiru ,23, John Jaccob 22, Ezekiel gumeret 26, Sulaimon Musa, 20.
“Similarly, on September 26, 2022 the Rigasa Railway Divisional Police Headquarters arrested five suspects in connection with vandalisation of window frames at Gidan Buse substation station.”
“The suspects are: Sadi Mohammed, 26, Nasiru Yakubu, 35, Yau Ibrahim 26; while two others were arrested. They are Buhari Samlia, 25, Aliyu Abdulahi, 24, for the same crime on October 17, 2022.
“Men of the Funtua Railway Police Division, Katsina State also raided the hideout of notorious railway vandals, arrested four suspected vandals in possession of one hundred railway iron sleepers and sixty cut to size triangular iron pieces belonging to the Nigerian Railway Corporation ( NRC).
“On November 4 and 14, 2022, Men of the Kafanchan Railway Police Division and Men of the Nigerian Army School of artillery intercepted two trucks belonging toa cement company with Registration numbers: MJB367XA & DAL- 754ZX. The trucks were loaded with 45 and 37 long rail irons respectively.