Nipping Rail Vandalisation In The Bud

Kasim Sumaina writes on the need for government to nip in the bud the recent ugly trend of vandalisation in newly-constructed rail tracks by highly-placed government officials and some unscrupulous elements in the society

It is often said that evil, like death, could be found among any one. To this end, one cannot be surprised by the recent alleged arrest of highly-placed government officials involved in vandalising rail infrastructures.

The importance of railway as mode of transportation cannot be over-emphasised. Railway over the years has played a great role in economy development to the country and the expectation is that the recent government drive to modernise the rail sector should be given the full support it needs. However, despite government’s on-going efforts to build, revamp and resuscitate existing rail tracks and constructing new rail lines across the country with huge borrowing facilities, recent activities of some citizens in connivance with foreign nationals to cart away rail components built with huge loans from the Chinese government. This development has given stakeholders serious concern.

• See Also: Police Recover 3 Truckloads Of Vandalised Rail Tracks

According to an industry expert, this is what happens when some unscrupulous elements in the society hate their country so much that they desire its demise. These tracks were laid in the late 1980s. Why are they being vandalised now?

He noted that rail tracks should be given special recognition as it’s annoying to see people destroying what was built for the betterment of their states.

While the federal government had already begun negotiations for additional loans, which, If granted, will balloon Nigeria’s public debt stock, which according to data from the Debt Management Office (DMO), stood at N33.107 trillion ($87.239 billion) as at March 31, 2021, despite public outcry.

If government is bent on contracting more loans for railway expansion, it should be prepared to safeguard the already existing infrastructures from vandalism or all will amount to nothing.

• See Also: Minister of Transport ‘Amaechi’ Advocates Death Penalty For Railway Vandals

Barely six months after the inauguration of the Itakpe-Warri rail by President Muhammadu Buhari, a project abandoned more than 35 years ago by successive administrations, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), raised the alarm over the vandalism of the newly-fixed Itakpe-Warri rail line by persons who cut off several sections of the track. In a viral video, the vandals used saw-like object to cut through the rail line to a point, where the pieces could be carted away, thereby exposing passengers to danger. The corporation, also announced the arrest of two persons suspected of vandalising rail tracks along the Kaduna-Zaria rail line.

The Managing Director/CEO, NRC, Mr. Fidet Okhiria, had confirmed the development to journalists stating that vandals perpetrated the act on the Warri-Itakpe standard gauge line around KM 30 Adogo, Kogi State section of the rail. He noted that despite the incident, the train was still being operated as there was an alternative.

Also, NRC Northern District Engineer, Mr. Haruna Sabo, also recently told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Zaria that two persons suspected of vandalising rail tracks along the Kaduna-Zaria rail line had been arrested. He had also stated that the corporation had deployed patrol teams along the rail line following the repeated vandalism of the rail tracks. Sabo said those arrested were members of a syndicate that specialised in removing rail clips that hold sleepers and rail tracks together.

Sabo said the suspects were arrested by staff of the NRC district office at Sayi-Dumbi rail section along the Zaria-Kaduna axis on Friday. He gave the names of the suspects as: Sabitu Kabiru of Matara Sarki in Zaria and a trader, Sabi’u Shehu.

What now appears a lucrative job also saw the Special Adviser on Infrastructure to Nasarawa State Governor, Yusuf Abubakar Musa, picked up by the state Police Command for vandalising NRC facilities alongside two police officers and one operative of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), among others. The state Commissioner of Police, Bola Longe, recently paraded the arrested Special Adviser alongside 16 other suspected vandals at the state command headquarters in Lafia. Longe gave details of other suspected vandals to include Mohammed Isiaka, former supervisory councilor on Education in Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area, Mr. Marta Thai; a Chinese national and manager of Young Steel Company, Abuja (receiver); and Jacob Terlumun Emmanuel, the procurement officer of the Chinese company.

• See Also: “I Regret The Embarrassment I Caused The Governor” – Nasarawa Governor’s Aide Arrested For Railway Vandalism

Others arrested, according to him, were “Samuel Shagbaor, a staff of the NRC and the principal technical officer covering Agyaragu, Lafia and its suburbs; Umaru Dauda and Abubakar Nuhu, owners of the trailer, who offered N160,000 bribe to secure the trailer; Nathaniel Oba, Principal partner, Nathoba and co, a law chamber in Benin-city, Edo State, who is the legal adviser to Yong Xing Steel Company Nigeria Limited, who offered N600,000 to bribe the investigating team of the Police Anti-kidnapping Unit to secure the release of his client.

Similarly, the Nigerian Police a week ago announced the arrest of criminal syndicate responsible for recent vandalisation of rail tracks in the North-west and North-central parts of the country. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Frank Mba, a Commissioner of Police, said the arrest followed deliberate efforts by the force to contain and clamp down on perpetrators of recent incidents of rail tracks vandalisation, carting away of critical locomotive equipment and other related economic crimes in some parts of the country.

He said the arrested suspected vandals were among a total of 36 criminal suspects arrested by the police recently.

Parading the suspects in Abuja, he said the arrests were achieved due to sustained nationwide tactical, anti-crime operations by the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and the Special Tactical Squad (STS) in the ongoing efforts aimed at stemming criminal activities particularly violent crimes in the country.

According to him, “Exhibits recovered in the operations included eight AK-49 rifles; three AK-47 rifles; one locally made rifle; 346 rounds of AK-47 live ammunition; 24 live cartridges; 20 AK-47 magazine, N1.4 million; vehicles, including two Toyota Corolla (Abuja -RBC 653 AE and ABC 906 AG); one Toyota Camry; one 307 Peugeot (Abuja-BWR 920 HK); one 406 Peugeot and one Honda. The rail track vandalism suspects, Idris Lawal, 42; Abdullahi Musa, 29, and Usman Umar, 22, were arrested following a coordinated intelligence-driven special operation on May 27, 2021, which uncovered a warehouse in Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State. A cordon and search operation conducted by the police operatives on the building revealed different vandalised rail equipment, stolen rail installation racks, weld-shear, rail puller, and other rail accessories and consumables. He said further investigations by the police team led to the interception of three heavily-loaded trucks along Ikom-Ibom junction in Cross Rivers State.

According to the PPRO, the trucks were fully loaded with vandalised rail items transported from the warehouse. Investigation is on-going to identity the destination, the targeted criminal receivers, end-users and other suspects complicit in the crime.

But, with the increasing cases of rail tracks vandalisation, industry observers are of the view that the Nigerian government’s seeming indifference is given rise to the ugly trend as those arrested are treated with kid gloves.

• See Also: Railway Vandalization: Six Arrested For Stealing Rail Track In Ogun

The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, had recently disclosed that the federal government had so far repaid over $150 million out of the $500 million facility secured by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan for the Abuja-Kaduna railway. Meaning an additional $350 million dollars is needed to offset the loan obtained from the Chinese government. He said, under the regime of former President Goodluck Jonathan, the loan for Abuja – Kaduna was about $500 million. “As of today, we have paid over $150 million on that loan.”

He empahsised that Nigeria had never defaulted when it comes to loan repayment. And that he didn’t also expect that the nation will default on any other loan the government has taken.

He also informed that the loan for Ibadan-Kano project was about $1.5 billion, stating that the rest of $500 million came from “our budget and I expect that whatever loans we take we will be able to pay.” Just when the federal government has started making headways in rail modernisation and its generated income risen from N70 million to N350 on Abuja-Kaduna corridor alone as disclosed by the Minister, and with huge debt staring at us, unscrupulous element are bent on distabilising on-going government railway modernisation plan through vandalisation. While efforts of the Nigerian Police should be commended, there is the need for the Nigerian Railway Corporation to synergise with various security agencies in the country to curtail the situation.

Okhiria, the NRC MD, told THISDAY in a telephone interview that efforts were being put in place not only to arrest those stealing the corporation’s properties, but to safeguard the rail tracks across the country.

• See Also: Two Police Officers, Nasarawa Gov’s Aide, Others Arrested for Vandalising Railway Facilities

Okhiria noted that the corporation has started a deliberate strategy to synergise with various community leaders to see how vigilantes will be drafted in to protect tracks along their corridor.

Also, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has ordered the arrest of buyers of vandalised rail track facilities and equipment.

Amaechi said cases of vandalisation exists because there were those who have indicated interest in the vandalised facilities. He also said the rate of vandalisation would reduce, if the judiciary system dispenses justice without delay.

“I don’t know why some Nigerians are like the way they are. I have told the Managing Director of NRC to arrest the buyers of the equipment. It is not enough to arrest the vandals. It is likened to those who said why should the National Assembly punish those who pay ransom? That law was first passed by the Rivers State House of Assembly when I was a speaker and the reason is, that, when there is no demand, there will be no supply. “If we don’t pay ransom, they will be tired and they will stop. The same way, if they don’t buy those metals, slippers and others, nobody will steal them,” he said

“Also, we must approach the Judiciary to have court that can dispense justice readily so that people are sent to jail early enough to deter others and we will also encourage our governors to create jobs,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police (IG), Mr. Usman Baba, expressed the determination of the police to ensure that public spaces are reclaimed from criminal elements and a comfortable level of public safety and security achieved in all parts of the country.

He said all the suspects would be charged to court on completion of investigations

The question is, should the vandalisation be traced to lack of job opportunities or something else? Experts has attributed the spate of vandalisation bedeviling the rail sector to the negligence of traditional institutions, adding that the traditional institution has the vital role to play in curbing train tracks vandalisation along their domain.

They are also of the opinion that the NRC should engaged other relevant stakeholders within the rail corridors to sensitise their wards of the danger of trespassing on rail tracks and vandalising it.

Credit: ThisDay

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