CITIZENS COMPASS —THE Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has arrested four suspected rail track vandals and intercepted a truck conveying large quantities of vandalised rail tracks concealed inside iron scraps.
NSCSC in a statement on Thursday, August 17, 2023, said the truck and suspects were intercepted on the Lafia-Akwanga-Abuja expressway, Sabon Pagi, Lafia, Nasarawa State on Monday.
The statement signed by Director, Public Relations, Babawale Afolabi, said the arrest was made by the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad, CG’s SIS, of NSCDC.
Noting that the four suspects have been taken into custody for further investigation and necessary action, he said: “On August 14, 2023, about 1030hrs, the CG’s Special Intelligence Squad, who were on specialised operation to checkmate nefarious activities of rail line vandals, arrested four suspected vandals, who disguised as scavengers.
It was later discovered that the suspects had vandalised rail track irons and concealed them inside scrap iron materials before loading the vandalised rail track irons into a truck that will convey them to the buyers.
“The vehicle is an articulated DAF truck with registration number BSA 899XA and the four suspected vandals are 27 year old Anasi Ali, the driver of the truck. Others are Yusuf Idris, 25; Hafis Idris, 18; and Nasiru Abdullahi, 28 who served as an escort.
“Items recovered from the vandals are large quantities of offloaded scrap irons and vandalised railways irons as well as the truck.
“The preliminary investigation carried out by NSCDC revealed that the vandals loaded the rail tracks and slippers in Makurdi, Benue State and concealed them inside iron scraps and were moving them to an undisclosed iron and steel company in Ilorin, Kwara State before they were intercepted and arrested.
“In the meantime, the Commandant General Dr. Ahmed Audi, has ordered full investigation after which the suspects will be charged to court.”
