- Several suspects have been arrested in Ilorin, Kano, and Gombe over the theft of critical railway components, including fish plates, bolts, and steel sleepers.
- In Ilorin, one suspect confessed and named an accomplice still at large, while police recovered over 100 track parts from another suspect a week later.
- Four men arrested in Kano for railway vandalism have been convicted after pleading guilty, as the NRC vows stricter enforcement against future infractions.
Suspected vandals targeting Nigeria’s railway infrastructure have been apprehended in coordinated operations across Ilorin, Kano, and Gombe states, following a string of attacks on key components of the nation’s rail network.
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Dr. Kayode Opeifa, confirmed the arrests in a statement issued on Monday, noting that the suspects were nabbed after several reported cases of theft involving critical railway materials.
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Items carted away included fish plates, bolts, nuts, steel sleepers, and other essential fasteners — components necessary for maintaining the safety and stability of railway tracks.
One of the incidents occurred on June 11 in Ilorin, Kwara State, when a staff member, Adesina Fabumi, discovered the disappearance of 56 fish plates and fasteners from a section of track between kilometres 413 and 414 near Idi-Ose Village.
“These materials, vital to the integrity and safety of railway tracks, were removed and taken to unknown locations,” Opeifa stated.
A swift investigation led by Inspector Oniwara Babatunde resulted in the arrest of Wasiu Musa from Ajia Village the following day. He reportedly confessed and named one Abdullahi Salman as an accomplice. Salman remains at large.
As investigations widened, another suspect, Usman Bashir, was arrested on June 18. Police recovered 33 fish plates, 33 bolts and nuts, 80 AB & K fasteners, and 38 additional nuts from his possession. Inspector Oniwara Musa is currently assisting in efforts to track other members of the syndicate.
In Gombe, officers intercepted a blue vehicle loaded with suspected stolen rail steel sleepers. Two individuals were arrested and are said to be cooperating with investigators.
Kano State also recorded a similar development. On June 15, four men — Mukhter Muhammed (30), Abdullahi Musa (21), Sa’idu Yushe’u (26), and Salisu Shuaibu (24) — were arrested in Zakirai town, Gabasawa LGA, for vandalising part of the railway line. They were arraigned on June 19 and pleaded guilty to the charges. All four have since been convicted.
Dr. Opeifa reaffirmed the NRC’s zero-tolerance policy on vandalism and warned that those found sabotaging public infrastructure would face the full weight of the law.
VeryDarkMan Leads Protest at FCT Minister’s Residence Over Lingering Teachers’ Strike
Popular activist and social media personality, Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), took his protest to the residence of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister in Abuja on Monday, voicing concern over the prolonged strike by primary school teachers in the capital.
The strike, which began on March 24, 2025, has now stretched beyond 90 days. It was sparked by the refusal of Area Council Chairmen to implement the new national minimum wage of ₦70,000 for primary school teachers.
