NRC cries out: Kafanchan is new hotbed for rail track vandalism 

The ancient city of Kafanchan in Jema’a local government area of Kaduna state has become the new area of focus for theft of rail track assets and materials, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has said.

The development follows the recent renewed onslaught against vandalism of the nation’s railway fixed assets by the corporation that saw the arrest of two notorious vandals when police raided their hideout in the city.

NRC deputy director, Public Relations, Mahmood Yakub, stated that the arrest followed intelligence reports of the discovery of a private apartment in Kafanchan, where the vandals used to hide the stolen materials.

Men of the North Central District (NCD) of NRC and the Nigerian Railway Police Command were said to have stormed the location and discovered 25 short rails and 91 sleepers removed and stolen from the rail track that passed through the community.

“The Railway Police Area Command, Kafanchan, stormed the premises and recovered some vandalised materials, including 25 short rails and 91 sleepers stacked in two different buildings on the same premises,” the director said in an electronic document.

He added that the two suspects arrested at the premises are being detained at the Railway Police Station, Kafanchan, as the police intensify investigations to round up other members of the gang who are still at large.

All recovered materials are under the custody of the Railway District Police Station in Kafanchan as exhibits.

The managing director of NRC, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, reiterated  his resolve and determination to stamp out all those behind unpatriotic vandalisation of Railway critical infrastructures.

He commended the RDPO Kafanchan, for tracking the suspects and for the recovery of the track materials belonging to the Nigerian Railway Corporation.