The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has decried the increasing vandalism of its electrical and signalling installations across the Abuja, Lagos, Kaduna and Warri-Itakpe corridors.
The managing director and chief executive officer, Dr Kayode Opeifa, raised the concern in a statement in Lagos yesterday.
The statement signed by the chief public relations officer, Mr Callistus Unyimadu, described the attacks as a major threat to safe and efficient train operations.
Opeifa confirmed that two suspects had been arrested in Kaduna in connection with the vandalisation of equipment at the Rigasa Train Station area.
He said the suspects, aged 22 and 24, both from Rigasa, were apprehended by operatives of the Nigeria Police, Railway Command attached to the Abuja-Kaduna Train Service (AKTS).
The arrest, he explained, followed the discovery on Friday, Oct. 10, at about 12:30 p.m., that a cable wire had been cut and removed from an NRC crane.
Acting on intelligence, the patrol team led by ASP Abdullahi Bwajin, Administrative Officer at Rigasa, traced and arrested the suspects shortly after the incident.
During interrogation, the suspects confessed to the crime, revealing that they sold the stolen cable to one Musa, popularly known as “Musa Major,” for N90,000.
Each suspect reportedly received N30,000 as his share, while another accomplice, also from Rigasa, remains at large, Opeifa added.
He said efforts were ongoing by the Nigeria Police, Railway Command (AKTS), to arrest the remaining suspect and recover the stolen materials.
The NRC, he said, commended the command for its professionalism and swift response, assuring that all culprits would face the full weight of the law.
Opeifa expressed deep concern over the increasing attacks on railway electrical and signalling infrastructure, describing them as critical national assets.
He said the corporation, working with security agencies, would henceforth treat such acts as economic sabotage, with severe legal consequences for offenders.
He appealed to residents of communities hosting railway facilities to support the corporation and security agencies in protecting these installations.
He stressed that the railway system remained a catalyst for community development and improved livelihoods, making its protection a collective responsibility. (NAN)
