Nigeria: In Nasarawa, the army captures 12 rail track vandals
By Ahmad Hadizat Omayoza, Mamos Nigeria
Twelve suspected rail track vandals were apprehended at Angwan Yara in the Keana Local Government Area of the state by military personnel from the Four Special Forces Command, Doma, Nasarawa State.
The acting Representative Chief, Armed force Advertising of the order, Maj. Joseph Afolasade, expressed this during a press instructions on Friday.
He stated, “During a routine patrol on June 15, 2023, troops of the command intercepted five suspected rail track vandals at an abandoned railway station between the Angwan Yara and Agyaragu communities of Keana LGA.” The suspects were arrested with a large quantity of rail tracks loaded into two 12-tyre trucks. On June 18, as part of the investigation, the troops made additional arrests of seven suspects and obtained confessions from them.
“They mentioned the names of some prominent people in Nasarawa and Plateau states as being members of the syndicate and admitted to having played various roles in the theft of the rail tracks.”
Afolasade uncovered that in a bid to be liberated by the Military, the suspects offered a pay off of N5m to officials of the order which was dismissed.
According to what he stated, “they offered to give our personnel N5 million to allow them to go with the rail tracks, but our men rejected the money and arrested them.”
The Acting Delegate Chief added that the Administrator of the Exceptional Powers, Maj. Gen. Owyinka Soyele, had requested that the suspects be given over to officials of the Nigeria Security and Common Safeguard Corps for additional examination and indictment.
