Niger State Police Command on Friday paraded 15 suspects for vandalising and transporting a trailer load of railway tracks and slippers in Minna.  

The Commissioner of Police Niger State Command, CP. Shawulu Danmamman, while parading the suspects before newsmen at the command headquarters, said the tracks were suspected to have been stolen from Katarma village in Kaduna.

According to him, the military component at Sarkin-Pawa after intercepting, and arresting the suspects, handed them over the trailer to the Police Division at Sarkin-Pawa.

He affirmed the commitment of the Niger State Police Command to fight and reduce crime to the barest minimum.

The suspects, Adekunle Saheed 44yrs of Oyo State, and Saifullahi Umar 30yrs of Katsina State during interaction with newsmen, gave conflicting information regarding their involvement in the crime. While Adekunle Saheed admitted ignorance of the content in the trailer, the driver Saifullahi said he was leading the trailer to the destination.

Despite several advantages of Railway transportation, Nigeria’s rail transport services continued to collapse over the years, as insecurity, poor funding, and the constant activities of vandals contributed negatively to efforts aimed at reviving railway transportation.

According to a report, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) says over 150,000 rail clips were stolen by suspected vandals along railway tracks across the country between 2022 and 2023, causing a huge setback to the sector.

Other persons paraded include suspected armed bandits, one recovered AK-47 rifle in Pissa District of Borgu Local Government Area, as well as two notorious thieves, ex-convicts arrested for criminal trespass and attempt to steal a vehicle in Minna.