NRC busts railway theft syndicate, recover trailer of stolen materials

NRC busts railway theft syndicate, recover trailer of stolen materials

 

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has recorded a major breakthrough in its fight against railway vandalism, with the arrest of a notorious receiver of stolen materials in Kaduna and the re

NRC Busts Railway Theft Syndicate,covery of a trailer loaded with railway components in Plateau State.

The suspect, identified as Musa Abdullahi, also known as “Major,” was arrested by operatives of the NRC Police Command around the Rigasa area of Kaduna. According to a statement signed by the NRC’s Chief Public Relations Officer, Callistus Unyimadu, Abdullahi confessed to buying stolen electrical cables belonging to the Corporation for ₦90,000.

His arrest followed intelligence reports on the vandalisation of electrical installations along the Mando–Rigasa corridor on October 14, 2025. The NRC said investigations were ongoing, and the suspect would be charged to court upon completion of inquiries.

In a related operation, NRC Police personnel in Plateau State intercepted a trailer loaded with railway materials along KM 822–823, Forom axis, in the early hours of October 14. The driver reportedly abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene when confronted by security operatives. The truck was later towed to the Jos Railway Police Station for investigation.

Managing Director of the NRC, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, commended the police for what he described as an intelligence-led, professional operation that underscores the renewed synergy between the Corporation and security agencies.

“These arrests and recoveries demonstrate our collective resolve to protect Nigeria’s railway assets from criminal elements. Acts of vandalism amount to economic sabotage, and we will not tolerate them,” Dr. Opeifa said.

He reiterated the corporation’s commitment to maintaining close collaboration with the Nigeria Police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and other security agencies to bring vandals and their collaborators to justice.

Dr. Opeifa also appealed to residents of communities hosting railway facilities to report suspicious activities around rail installations, stressing that protecting the nation’s rail infrastructure is a shared responsibility.

“The railway system is a major driver of national development. We must all see its protection as a duty to our collective progress,” he added.

The NRC said both cases highlight its intensified crackdown on vandalism across the country, with renewed surveillance, community engagement, and intelligence sharing as part of broader security reforms in the transport sector.