Army sergeant, 13 others arrested with three truckloads of rail track materials – Newstrends
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Army sergeant, 13 others arrested with three truckloads of rail track materials

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The police have arrested 14 suspects, including a serving Army sergeant, in connection with the vandalisation and stealing of rail track materials in different parts of the country.

Three trucks loaded with railway slippers, steel and clips were recovered from the suspects, according to the Railway Police Command of the Nigeria Police Force.

The arrest involving the sergeant, Sirajo Suleiman, who works with the Nigerian Army Central Ammunition Department, Kaduna, was made on April 27, 2022, by the Kafanchan divisional headquarters of the command, alongside six other suspects.

They were alleged to loaded multiple rail sheets of steel into two trucks in a bush near Camuru Station in the Katchia Local Government Area of the state when the policemen swooped on them.

The names of other suspected vandals were given as Idris Bawa, Idris Musa, Shamsu Abdulahi, Anthony Moses and Yunana Gaius.

Three weeks earlier, the Kafanchan Railway Police Division of the command, reportedly intercepted a truck fully loaded with railway slippers along Bankin-Kaninkon-Kogi road.

The suspected vandals were said to have fled the scene abandoning the truck on sighting the police.

During the investigation, one Ahmed Tanko, who resides in Dangoma Village Jam ‘A Local Government Area of Kaduna State was arrested and reportedly confessed to the crime.

Efforts according to the Commissioner of Police, Railway Police Command headquarters, CP Yetunde Longe, who confirmed both cases, were being intensified to apprehend his fleeing accomplices.

She disclosed that three other suspects, Abdukarim Haruna, Hassan Dahiru and Bashir Mumuhamed, were also apprehended by the Kano Division of the Railway Command, with the recovery of 51 railway slippers, 26 rail sheets of steel and several quantities of destroyed rail iron rods and slippers.

Also in Oyo State, she said the Dugbe Railway Police Division, Ibadan, arrested “an O’ War official identified as Azeez Wahab with a BAGCO bag containing 50 NRC tool bolts without a satisfactory account of how he found them.

“Similarly, the Offa Division of the Railway Command, Kwara State, also arrested one Ibukun of Railway Mechanical Department (Diesel Maintenance Section) for vandalism and stealing aluminium in one of the unused coaches within the train station premises; while the Minna divisional headquarters also arrested one Aliyu for vandalizing railway clips in Minna, Niger State,” she stated.

“In another development, the Bodija Divisional Headquarters of the Railway Command in Ibadan arrested a 20-year-old armed robbery suspect identified as Abdulahi Fatai aka ‘Akube’.

“Investigations revealed that the case is connected to that of another armed robbery suspect who was earlier arrested in December 2021, while going for an operation”.

She, therefore, warned criminal elements to desist from vandalizing government properties, especially the railways, threatening that anyone caught would be dealt with to the full extent of the law.

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NRC increases trips on Abuja-Kaduna route from four to six 

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NRC increases trips on Abuja-Kaduna route from four to six 

 

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced an increase in the number of trains on its Abuja-Kaduna Train Service (AKTS) route in response to rising demand based on its customer feedback.

A statement signed by the NRC Deputy Director of Public Relations, Yakub Mahmood, on Wednesday, said the number of trains had been increased to six from four, running Monday to Friday during peak periods.

This development, it added, aimed to enhance customer satisfaction by making commuting more convenient and accessible on the route as well as tackling complaints of ticket racketeering.

The statement quoted the acting Managing Director of the NRC, Ben Iloanusi, as saying that a five-month trend analysis revealed a 22 per cent increase in new passengers registering on the ticketing platform for the Abuja-Kaduna route.

The surge, he said, showed a growing preference among Nigerians for train travel as a comfortable, reliable, and safe commuting option.

The statement read, “The Nigerian Railway Corporation, reaffirming its commitment to responding to customer demands, improving customer satisfaction, and tackling complaints of ticket racketeering, has increased the number of train services from four to six from Monday to Friday when demand tends to peak on its AKTS route.”

The NRC also noted that similar trends had been observed on the Lagos-Ibadan, Warri-Itakpe, and Port Harcourt-Aba routes, with efforts already underway to enhance services along these routes as well.

The acting MD assured Nigerians of the increased presence of NRC senior management across all train service routes to drive continuous efficiency and tackle the issue of ticket racketeering head-on.

“Our valued customers are encouraged to use NRC ticket platforms online to take advantage of the increased services and avoid patronising ticket racketeers.

“Additional information can be obtained from the NRC website, www.nrc.gov.ng,” it stated.

The expanded services on the Abuja-Kaduna route, it said, followed similar enhancements on the Lagos-Ibadan route, which now includes additional trips on Fridays and Saturdays to accommodate increasing demand.

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Nigerian railway adds extra train to Friday, Saturday trips on Lagos-Ibadan route

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Nigerian railway adds extra train to Friday, Saturday trips on Lagos-Ibadan route

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced the introduction of additional train trips on its Lagos-Ibadan Train Service (LITS) route, exclusively for Fridays and Saturdays.

This initiative increases weekend trips from two to three, offering commuters greater travel flexibility.

The announcement, made via the NRC’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday, revealed that the new Lagos-to-Ibadan trip will depart at 1:40 pm, complementing the existing schedules of 7:45 am and 4:00 pm.

For the Ibadan-to-Lagos route, the additional trip is set for 10:50 am, joining the regular departures at 8:00 am and 4:30 pm.

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“Catch our extra Friday & Saturday train trips on LAGOS – IBADAN TRAIN SERVICE (LITS). 

“LAGOS to IBADAN: 

“•⁠Times: 7:45am, 1:40pm, 4:00pm 

“IBADAN to LAGOS: 

“•⁠Times: 8:00am, 10:50am, 4:30pm,” NRC’s tweet read in part.

This tweet by the Nigerian Railway Corporation further noted that the new schedule complements the existing Sunday-to-Thursday trips, which remain unchanged with departure times at 8:00 am and 4:00 pm from both Lagos and Ibadan.

This move by the NRC to expand the schedule is aimed at accommodating increased demand, particularly during weekends, and providing greater flexibility for commuters traveling between Lagos and Ibadan.

The move is expected to ease travel pressures and improve convenience for passengers on one of Nigeria’s busiest rail routes.

Travelers are encouraged to take advantage of the additional services and book tickets early via the e-ticketing website. to secure their spots, especially as the Lagos-Ibadan rail route continues to grow in popularity.

Nigerian railway adds extra train to Friday, Saturday trips on Lagos-Ibadan route

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Nigeria gets $350m AfDB facility for Kano-Maradi rail project

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Nigeria gets $350m AfDB facility for Kano-Maradi rail project

The Federal Government of Nigeria has secured $350 million from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to fund the construction of the Kano-Maradi rail project, which will connect Kano to Maradi in Niger Republic.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Land Transport, Senator Adamu Aliero, made this disclosure on Monday during an oversight visit to the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) headquarters in Lagos, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Aliero stated that the Kano-Maradi rail project is part of the government’s broader efforts to modernize Nigeria’s railway network and enhance regional trade links.

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“The Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport, Sen. Adamu Aliero,  says the African Development Bank has released $350 million to the Federal Government for construction of a rail line from Kano to Maradi,” the NAN report read in part.

He also highlighted that President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to China focused on finalizing negotiations for 85% of the financing needed to upgrade and rehabilitate the nation’s rail infrastructure.

Aliero disclosed that the supplementary budget recently passed by the National Assembly allocated over N530 billion as counterpart funding for these modernization efforts. The remaining 85% of the funds will be sourced from institutions such as China Exim Bank, the International Finance Corporation, and AfDB.

Nigeria gets $350m AfDB facility for Kano-Maradi rail project

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