Troops of 4 Special Forces Command of the Nigerian Army, Doma, Nasarawa State, have revealed that suspected railway track vandals offered them N5m for their free passage.
Acting Deputy Director Army Public Relations 4 Special Forces Command Major Joseph Adekunke Afolasade who disclosed this on Friday, while handing over the suspects to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) in Doma, Nasarawa State, said his men however turned down the offer.
LEADERSHIP WEEKEND reports that 12 suspected vandals arrested by the troops in two operations in the state, were handed over to the state command of the NSCDC during the event.
Major Afolasade said five of the suspects were nabbed during a routine patrol by the troops at an abandoned railway station between Keana and Obi local government areas of the state.
According to him, the suspects were loading the vandalized rail tracks in two trucks when they were apprehended by officers and men of the command.
He said another set of seven suspects were arrested during a raid at the residence of one of the suspected kingpins in Lafia, the state capital on June 18.
He, however said the suspects offered a bribe sum of N5m after making a revealing confession which implicated some influential personalities in Nasarawa and Plateau states.
He said: “The suspects were arrested with a large quantity of rail tracks loaded in two 12-tyre trucks.
“In the course of investigation, the troops arrested additional seven suspects on June 18 who had made confessional statements.
“They admitted to have played various roles in the theft of the rail tracks and mentioned names of some prominent persons in Nasarawa and Plateau States as being part of the syndicate.
“They offered to give our personnel N5m to allow them go with the rail tracks, but our men rejected the money and arrested them.”
He said the suspects claimed they were deceived by their sponsors who are on the run.
He added that Maj. Gen. Owyinka Soyele, Commander of the Special Forces, had approved that the suspects be handed over to Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for further investigation and prosecution.
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