2 rail track vandals arrested in Zaria – NRC

By Blessing wika, Abuja

The Nigeria Railway Corporation, NRC, has announced the arrest of two persons suspected of vandalising rail tracks along Kaduna-Zaria rail line.

Northern District Engineer of the NRC, Mr. Haruna Sabo, made the disclosure in an interview with journalists on Saturday in Zaria, Kaduna state.

Sabo said that the corporation had deployed patrol teams along the rail line following repeated vandalism of the rail tracks.

The District Engineer stated that those arrested were members of a syndicate that specialized in removing rail clips that hold sleepers and rail tracks together.

He asserted that the suspects were arrested by staff of the NRC district office at Sayi-Dumbi rail section along Zaria-Kaduna axis on Friday.

The suspects are Sabitu Kabiru of Matara Sarki in Zaria and a trader, Sabi’u Shehu.

One other suspect, whose name was given as Umar Faruk, was said to have escaped.

Kabiru, however, said it was their first time of attempting to vandalise the rail tracks and were caught.

On his part,  Shehu said he used to buy iron rod from Kabiru, but had never bought any stolen railway property from him.

The District Engineer said that personnel of the railway inspection and maintenance unit would continue to monitor the rail lines on daily basis, until all the vandals were arrested.

“These personnel saw the vandals removing bolt and knot, and rails clips on the track; the clips hold the sleepers and rail together.

“The removal of the bolt and knot, rails clips on the track was one of the reasons for the recent derailment of trains in Kaduna,” he said.

Sabo urged Nigerians to safeguard railway properties and report vandals to security agencies.

It has been reported that the suspects were handed over to the Railway Police in Zaria, for further investigation.