By Christopher Oji
The Railway Police Command of the Nigeria Police Force arrested 30 suspected railway vandals between the months of September and October, 2022.
The arrest was sequel to the directives of President Muhammadu Buhari to all service chiefs to safeguard the railway infrastructure across the federation.
Following the directives, the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba Alkali, directed the Railway Police Command, led by CP Yetunde Longe, to engage the Direct Action Response Tactics (DART), to effectively protect the railway corridors from vandals.
Commissioner of Police, Railway Police Command, Mrs. Yetunde Longe, said: “The Command recorded big on September 8, 2022; acting upon credible information, men of the Railway Police Command swooped on some criminal elements that have been involved in recurrent vandalisation and theft of railway iron sleepers at the section KM 1086 Sheme town in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State, leading to the arrest of 14 suspects.
“The suspects, after exchange of fire with the policemen, abandoned a trailer truck with registration number: LFA 307XB, and a Sharon car. However, further relentless combing of the crime scene led to the arrest of the suspects on September 10.
“The suspects are: Muhammed Lawan, 35; Umar garba, 28; Sahana iliyasu, 22; Bashiru Abdulrahaman, 20; Dauda Musa, 27; Ahmad sani,21; Muhammed Haruna, 20; Aten Ahmed; Gaddafi Bala, 21; Ali Umar, 25; Wudeama Tahiru, 23; John Jaccob, 22; Ezekiel Gumeret, 26 and Sulaimon Musa, 20.
“Similarly, on September 26, 2022, the Rigasa Railway Divisional Police Headquarters arrested five suspects in connection with vandalisation of window frames at Gidan Buse sub-station.
The suspects, namely: Sadi Mohammed, 26; Nasiru Yakubu, 35 and Yau Ibrahim, 26, while two others- Buhari Samlia, 25 and Aliyu Abdulahi, 24, were also arrested for the same crime on October 17, 2022.
“Men of the Funtua Railway Police Division, Katsina State also raided the hideout of notorious railway vandals, arrested four suspected vandals in possession on 160 railway iron sleepers cut to size triangular iron pieces belonging to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).”
CP Yetunde Longe, however, noted that investigations would be swiftly concluded and the culprits duly charged to court, to face the wrath of the law to its full extent.