Michael Olugbode in Abuja
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence( NSCDC) squad has nabbed four suspected rail track vandals in Nasarawa State.
A statement on Thursday by the Spokesman of the NSCDC, Mr. Babawale Afolabi, revealed that the four vandals were intercepted along Lafia-Akwanga–Abuja Expressway, Sabon Pagi, Lafia Nasarawa State on Monday by the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad (CG’s SIS).
Afolabi, while disclosing that the four suspected vandals have been taken into custody for further investigations and action, said that they were caught during the interception of an articulated DAF truck conveying large quantities of vandalised rail track iron concealed inside iron scrap.
He said: “On 14th of August, 2023, about 10.30 a.m., the squad, which was 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 have 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.”
He stated further that the truck and the four suspects were intercepted along Lafia-Akwanga–Abuja Expressway, Sabon Pagi, Lafia Nasarawa State on Monday. Details of the truck was given as an articulated DAF truck with registration number BSA 899XA and the four suspected vandals are 27 years old Anasi Ali who is the driver of the truck; Yusuf Idris, 25; Hafis Idris, 18 and Nasiru Abdullahi, 28 who served as an escort.
He said: “Item recovered from the vandals are; a DAF truck, large quantities of offloaded scrap irons and large quantities of vandalised railways irons.”
Babawale added that the preliminary investigation carried out by the NSCDC revealed that the vandals loaded the rail truck irons and slippers in Makurdi, Benue State and concealed it inside scrap irons to disguise it as scraps and were moving the vandalised products to an undisclosed iron and steel company in Ilorin, Kwara State before they were intercepted and arrested.
In the meantime, the Commandant General of NSCDC, Dr. Ahmed Audi, has ordered full scale investigation after which the suspects will be charged to court.
