The Plateau Command of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has apprehended seven suspects for their alleged involvement in vandalising railway tracks and slippers in the state.
While parading them on Tuesday in Jos, the Commandant of the Corps in Plateau State, Alexander Barunde, said the suspects were arrested in the Kwakwi community of Ganawuri District in Riyom Local Government Area.
According to him, the development followed intelligence reports from vigilante members of the community which were diligently executed by the command’s personnel.
Items seized from the suspected vandals in the course of the operation, according to the commandant, included 60 pieces of railway tracks, 30 slippers, and other materials belonging to the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC).
He stated that the suspects had loaded the vandalised items onto two trucks, and were en route to an undisclosed destination when operatives of NSCDC intercepted the trucks.
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“Seven suspects who specialise in vandalising railway tracks and sleepers were apprehended and brought to the command for interrogation. One of the drivers is at large. However, we were able to drive the trucks to our premises,” the commandant said.
“The first truck was loaded with 122 tracks, while the other had 60 tracks with 30 pieces of sleepers. We have profiled them and the suspects will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.”
One of the suspects, identified as Ahmed Mohammed, denied involvement in the vandalism, claiming that he, alongside another suspect was merely contracted to transport the items.
“There’s a friend of mine who comes to Bukuru. We meet always with him. He said we would help him load the materials but he didn’t tell us what we would load for him. However, what gave us the confidence is the presence of military personnel. They were there and asked us to load it. That’s what happened,” he said.
“We didn’t ask them where we are taking it to… They told us when we get to Bukuru, we would come down and the goods would leave… They didn’t ask us anything, they only asked us to load the items.
“The driver ran away and the man who asked us to load the items also ran away and left us with the items. We were confident because of the security personnel. That’s why we didn’t run and stayed back.”
The apprehension of the rail line tracks came at a time when the Plateau State Government was embarking on the revival of mass rail transit within the Jos and Bukuru metropolis. This is part of the government’s efforts to complement the transport system in the state.
