By Fidelis Ugbomeh
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has declared zero tolerance for vandalism of railway assets, following the increasing spate of activities of vandals and arrests by security operatives.
However, close watchers of events have advised the management of the corporation to repair all vandalized sections of the 3,505 kilometres narrow gauge railway lines so as to pave way for resumption of long-distance passenger and freight train service along the affected corridors of Lagos to Kano and Maiduguri to Port-Harcourt.
They opined that skeletal/staggered provision of freight/passenger train service as currently obtains created room for scavengers to spend several hours removing rail components and sleepers confidently with the aid of welding equipment and vehicles parked to nearby to convey such components to buyers.
In a statement signed by deputy director, public relations, NRC, Mahmood Yakub, made available to Daily Sun, the arrest of Wasiu Musa of Aja village, on June 12, this year, led to further arrests and recovery of materials, whereas, in Kwara state, Ilorin, to be precise, some suspects were arrested with 56 pieces of bolts and nuts near Idi Osr village.
On June 28, 2025, Usman Bashir was also arrested with a large cache of railway items, while in Gombe, Nigerian Railway Police arrested two people in a blue vehicle loaded with steel sleepers
In Kano State, according to the statement, three people were arrested on June 15, 2025, for vandalising railway assets at Zakirai town, in Gavasawa Local Government Area, while another three were arrested in Bauchi on June 20, 2025, by officials of Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) with vandalized sleepers alongside vehicle.
In a similar vein, an Ebute Metta Magistrate’s Court sentenced Mr. Daniel Joe to three years imprisonment with hard labour following attempts to steal iron materials from Signal and Telecommunications Workshop of the NRC on March 27, 2025.
A staff of the corporation was also arrested and prosecuted recently for stealing signal and communications cables along the Warri-Itakpe standard gauge railway corridor.
Reacting to activities of vandals, managing director of the corporation, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, called on all Nigerians to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity around railway facilities, emphasizing that safeguarding the nation’s railway system is a collective responsibility.
He reiterated unwavering commitment of management to securing its assets by strengthening internal security measures through strategic partnerships with law enforcement agencies, and continued community engagement to curb the menace of railway vandalism.
Opeifa pointed out that vandalism of railway facilities was a serious offense with grave implications, including putting lives at risk, expensive cost of repairs and delay of trains.
In his own contribution, Lagos district manager of the corporation, Mr. Augustine Arisa, said, apart from strengthening internal security and entering partnerships with law enforcement agencies, officials of the corporation have continued to engage members of the community resident along the railway corridors on the danger inherent in the vandalism of railway assets.
He explained further that some members of the public have been engaged to assist in monitoring of raiway tracks and report any untoward activity to management and security agencies.
Mr. Eric Umezurike, managing director First Rit Nigeria Limited however posited that the best way to curb vandalization of railway assets is to resume long distance passenger and freight train service along all the narrow gauge railway network in the country.
He pointed out that some of the locations identified for constant vandalization of rail tracks and component are areas where train service have been suspended.
Umezurike noted that narrow gauge mass transit trains only operates from Kajola to Iddo and back (on week days) while return passenger train service operates from Kano to Zaria and Aba to Port-Harcourt daily.
Apart from the aforementioned railway corridors he stated that all other train service are either operated skeletally or suspended due to shortage of motive power engines and vandalized sleepers respectively.
Mr. Mike Ejoor, a road transporter in his remarks stressed that until the buyers of the stolen items are identified, arrested and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others the age long practice of vandalizing railway assets will continue.
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