12 Rail Track Vandals Nabbed In Nasarawa

At least 12 people have been arrested for allegedly vandalising rail tracks at Angwan Yara, Keana Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

The suspects were Troops of the 4 Special Forces, Doma, Nasarawa State, according to the cting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations of the Command, Maj. Joseph Afolasade on Friday.

While briefing newsmen, Maj. Afolasade said, “On June 15, 2023, troops of the Command, during a routine patrol, intercepted five suspected rail track vandals at an abandoned railway station between Angwan Yara and Agyaragu communities of Keana LGA.

“The suspects were arrested with a large quantity of rail tracks loaded in two trucks.

“In the course of the investigation, the troops arrested additional seven suspects on June 18 who had made confessional statements.

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“They admitted to have played various roles in the theft of the rail tracks and mentioned names of some prominent persons in Nasarawa and Plateau States as being part of the syndicate,” he added.

The suspects also offered a bribe of N5 million, which was rejected by the Army, according to Maj. Afolashade.

He said, “They offered to give our personnel N5 million to allow them go with the rail tracks, but our men rejected the money and arrested them.”

According to him, the sponsors of the suspects, who are presently on the run, deceived them.

Shedding more light on the development, he said the Commander of the Special Forces, Maj.-Gen. Owyinka Soyele, had approved that the suspects be handed over to Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps for further investigation and prosecution.

Receiving the suspects, a representative of Nasarawa State Commandant of the NSCDC, Afere Joseph, a Deputy Commandant, expressed gratitude to the Army for their level of collaboration to tackle insecurity in the state.

He, therefore, assured that the suspects would be prosecuted after investigation to serve as a deterrent.