Fresh security fears as vandals attack Kaduna rail infrastructure after court jails offenders

Fresh security fears as vandals attack Kaduna rail infrastructure after court jails offenders 

Nigeria’s rail infrastructure came under renewed scrutiny on Friday as the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) reported a fresh act of sabotage on a 33Kv powerline feeding the Rigasa Station in Kaduna—barely 48 hours after a Federal High Court jailed two men for vandalising the Warri–Itakpe rail corridor.

The simultaneous developments have deepened concerns about a coordinated pattern of attacks on critical national assets, heightening pressure on security agencies already battling widespread infrastructure sabotage.

According to a statement issued by NRC’s Chief Public Relations Officer, Callistus Unyimadu, vandals struck the newly restored powerline in the early hours of Friday, carting away essential components and plunging the busy station and its adjoining railway community back into darkness.

The power facility had only been repaired 60 days ago after suffering two years of blackout from a previous attack.

The NRC described the latest incident as “a deeply troubling regression,” raising fears of an emboldened network of vandals targeting the nation’s rail system.

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The renewed vandalism came just as the Federal High Court in Ikoyi delivered a landmark judgment sentencing two offenders—Mudansuru Mutari (27) and Blorie Kokori (39)—to two years imprisonment for tampering with the Warri–Itakpe track.

Justice A. I. Kala, who handed down the sentence, warned that attacks on rail infrastructure constitute “a serious threat to national safety,” stressing that Nigeria’s rail renaissance cannot thrive amid persistent sabotage.

Both convicts had been arrested around Kilometer 208 before Abraka in Delta State and were prosecuted under the Miscellaneous Offences Act for vandalism and economic sabotage.

NRC Managing Director, Dr Kayode Opeifa, said the twin incidents demonstrated the scale of the threat confronting the nation’s rail system.

“What we are facing is not petty theft—it is an assault on Nigeria’s economic arteries,” he said, calling for intensified security operations, particularly around high-risk rail corridors in Kaduna, Delta, Lagos and other flashpoints.

Opeifa lamented the rising frequency of attacks, warning that persistent sabotage undermines passenger safety, disrupts operations and imposes heavy repair costs on the government.

He reiterated the NRC’s commitment to sustaining services despite the setbacks while urging communities to support security efforts and report suspicious activity.

Security experts warn that the pattern of sabotage reflects a broader threat to the country’s transportation infrastructure, especially at a time when the government is pushing to expand rail services under the Renewed Hope Rail Agenda.

The repeated attacks on power and track components also raise questions about the capacity of state security outfits to provide adequate surveillance along long, unmanned rail corridors.

As investigations into the Rigasa attack intensify, the NRC assured passengers and residents that emergency response teams are working to restore power while long-term security measures are being strengthened.

Despite these challenges, the Corporation insists that its resolve to protect railway assets and ensure reliable transport services remains unwavering.

 

Fresh security fears as vandals attack Kaduna rail infrastructure after court jails offenders