The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has intercepted a criminal syndicate allegedly involved in the vandalism and illegal transportation of Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) infrastructure in Bauchi State.
According to a statement issued on Monday by the NSCDC National Public Relations Officer, ACC Afolabi Babawale, operatives of the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad (CG’s SIS) arrested two suspects and recovered a large quantity of stolen railway sleepers along the Bauchi-Kano Road.
The operation followed a directive by the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, directing the Special Intelligence Squad to relocate to Bauchi State to dismantle criminal networks vandalising railway infrastructure under the guise of being government-approved contractors.
Acting on credible intelligence, the squad intercepted a Peugeot Boxer vehicle with registration number KMC-366-TE conveying suspected vandalised railway sleepers reportedly moved from Tafawa-Balewa Local Government Area toward Kano State.
The suspects arrested were identified as Alzuma Yakubu, 65, the driver of the vehicle, and Ismail Muhammad, 32, who allegedly claimed ownership of the materials.
The NSCDC said both the vehicle and the recovered railway infrastructure had been taken into custody as exhibits.
The Corps disclosed that the operation was initiated after the Bauchi State Government raised concerns over the activities of criminal elements allegedly hijacking federal government railway contracts to illegally remove and transport railway materials along the Bauchi-Gombe corridor.
The Commander of the CG’s Special Intelligence Squad, Commandant Apollos Dandaura, confirmed that the suspects were in custody and assisting investigators with information aimed at uncovering a wider criminal network and identifying secret warehouses used for storing stolen railway materials.
The NSCDC reiterated its commitment to safeguarding Critical National Assets and Infrastructure (CNAI), warning vandals and illegal scrap dealers that the Bauchi-Gombe axis would no longer serve as a safe haven for criminal activities.
