Afolabi Oyekunle.
The Nigerian Railway Corporation said efforts of the Federal Government and the Corporation to ensure effective rail transport system throughout the country is being sabotaged by vandals who specialise in removing rail tracks, clips and stealing her property.
The Managing director of Nigerian Railway Corporation, Engineer Fidet Okhiria speaking with newsmen in Lagos,said the vandalisation and theft of the corporation property is alarming and very serious as the vandals had extended their attack from the narrow gauge to the newly standard gauge in the country.
. Engineer Fidet Okhiria
Engineer Okhiria said the vandals come with gun and dangerous instuments to carry out their nefarious activities. He mentioned in particular, Lagos-Ibadan, Abuja-Kaduna and Warri-Itakpe standard gauge. “We have had issues between Papalanto and Abeokuta, in Kaduna and Ajaokuta where the bad elements try to vandalise our tracks.”
. The NRC MD at the occasion.
On measures by the Railway Corporation to prevent such happenings, Engineer Okhiria said the corporation is educating the communities where the train passes and where equipment are located on the need to guard them jealously.
He said the corporation would also provide motorcycles for security personnel for patrol, while it is also looking towards developing clips that would make it difficult to remove the rail tracks.
Engineer Okhiria said in the long run, the Corporation would deploy sensors and satellite system to prevent vandalisation.
Meanwhile, two suspected vandals have been arrested by men of Oyo state police command with stolen railway equipment.
They were caught with 34 railroad clips,a hacksaw, and damaged rail instruments.
The suspects are Ibrahim Saidu 20years old, and Muritala Abdullahi, 30 years old.
The state police public relations officer, SP Adewale Osifeso said the vandals were arrested last Friday at about 6.30pm while in the act at Ile-Esho Area, Omi-Adio in Ido local government area of the state.
He said the suspects confessed to the crime and had been cooperating with on-going investigation aimed at arresting other members of the gang.
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