The Special Intelligence Squad of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Squad (NSCDC) has rounded up four suspects understood to be conveying in an articulated DAF truck large quantities of vandalized rail track irons concealed inside iron scraps.
A press statement by the NSCDC National PRO, Babawale Afolabi on Wednesday stated that the four suspects have been taken into custody for further investigations and action.
“On 14th of August, 2023, about 1030hrs ,the CG’s Special Intelligence Squad, who are on a specialized operation to checkmate nefarious activities of rail line vandals, arrested four suspected vandals who disguised as scavengers.
“It was later discovered that the suspects have vandalized rail track irons and concealed them inside scrap iron materials before loading the vandalized rail track irons into a truck that will convey them to the buyers,” Babawale narrated.
The National PRO stated further that the truck and the four suspects were intercepted along Lafia-Akwanga -Abuja expressway, Sabon Pagi, Lafia in Nasarawa State on Monday.
Details of the truck was given as an articulated DAF truck with registration number BSA 899XA and the four suspected vandals are 27 years old Anasi Ali who is the driver of the truck. Others are Yusuf Idris, 25, Hafis Idris, 18 and Nasiru Abdullahi,28 who served as an escort.
” Items recovered from the vandals are; a DAF truck, large quantities of offloaded scrap irons and large quantities of vandalized railway irons,” Babawale added further.
The preliminary investigation carried out by the NSCDC revealed that the vandals loaded the rail truck irons and slippers in Makurdi, Benue State and concealed it inside scrap irons to disguise it as scraps and were the vandalized products to an undisclosed iron and steel company in Ilorin, Kwara State before they were intercepted and arrested.
In the meantime, the Commandant General, Ahmed Audi has ordered a full scale investigation after which the suspects will be charged to court.
