By; AMOS TAUNA, Kaduna
Thirteen (13) suspected railway vandals have been apprehended by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) with large quantities of long rails and sleepers worth 800 million Naira.
A statement issued by the Corps spokesman, Babawale Afolabi, explained that the suspects were arrested by the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad.
According to the statement, the suspects were paraded at the NSCDC Headquarters, Abuja on Tuesday alongside five trucks conveying the large quantities of vandalised rails and sleepers.
Afolabi explained, “The arrests took place around the Manchock area of Kaura Local Government Area, the Zonkwa area in Zango Kataf local Government Area, and the Kaffanchan area in Jama’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State.”
The statement said that the 13 suspects and five trucks impounded have been taken into custody for profiling and further investigation and prosecution.
It added that the 13 suspects are still being interrogated and cross-examined after which other accomplices would be arrested and charged to court.
Afolabi added that 30 million Naira as bribe was offered to the CGs SIS operatives which they declined upon arrest.
The NSCDC Commandant General, Dr. Ahmed Audi, the NSCDC Commandant General, lamented at the yet-to-be-identified iron and steel companies that always buy, process, and melt the vandalized rail track iron and sleepers, assuring that efforts are in top gear to smash and unmask the syndicates and make them face the wrath of the law no matter how highly or lowly placed.
