JOHN ADAMS, MINNA
The Niger state Police Command has arrested one Mohammed Lawal Paiko, a staff of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) and five others for allegedly vandalizing railway tracks in Paiko area of Niger State.
The other suspects were Danjuma Yahaya, Muazu Sani, Yunusa Mohammed, Kabiru Yahaya and Ibrahim Mohammed.
The vandals aged between 24 and 33 years were said to have come all the way from Kaduna and Plateau states to perpetrate the crime in the state.
A truck containing 13 gas cylinders which they used to vandalise the tracks and three industrial cutters were recovered from the suspects who confessed to committing the crime.
The suspects claimed to be selling the the rail tracks to local blacksmiths who use it for hoes and other farming implements.
State Police Commissioner, Alhaji Adamu Usman, while parading the suspects, told newsmen in Minna on Wednesday that some other members of the gang were at large, adding that since those arrested had confessed to committing the offence, they would be charged to court immediately.
The police boss also disclosed that the vandals were among 26 other suspects arrested for various crimes across the state.
Alhaji Adamu Usman also pointed out that among the suspects were of six hoodlums arrested from Gayegi village in the Paikoro local government for attempting to kidnap a housewife, Hajia Kuluwa Likita Umar.
He said the hoodlums stormed the family house of the victim armed with sticks, matchetes and dangerous weapons but “met stiff resistance from the brothers of the woman” leading to the arrest of the suspects and recovery of the dangerous weapons as well as a “Max Telephone” from the suspects.
Others arrested by the police operatives were Usman Alhassan and Haliru Usman for armed robbery which they perpetrated along Maikujeri near Kagara in the Rafi local government of the state.
A fabricated AK47 rifle with an empty magazine and 15 bundles of new wrappers were recovered from the suspects, he said.
Alhaji Adamu Usman  assured members of the public that the police would continue to protect them and their property but asked that the force should always be provided with information that would lead to the arrest of dangerous elements in the society.