NRC Raises Alarm Over Growing Vandalism Threat On Lagos-Ibadan Railway

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has expressed concern over the vandalism of critical signalling infrastructure along the Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge corridor, particularly between the Agege and Agbado stations.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by the NRC’s Chief Public Relations Officer, Callistus Unyimadu.

The warning follows recent concerns raised by the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), which, in its report on the recent accident on the Abuja-Kaduna corridor, highlighted the deteriorating state of NRC infrastructure in that area.

Over the years, the railway authority has lamented repeated cases of vandalism, ranging from damage to rail tracks to the destruction of signalling equipment, often attributed to scavengers targeting rail assets.

According to the statement, unknown individuals tampered with vital signalling installations, including the removal of signal machine cap protectors and the severing of connection cables on Switch Point Machine No. 2. The incident was discovered during a routine inspection of the line.

Unyimadu condemned the act, describing it as a deliberate sabotage of a critical national asset with the potential to compromise the safety of passengers and railway staff.

Despite the incident, the corporation assured that train services on the Lagos-Ibadan route were not disrupted.

“The Corporation strongly condemns these acts of sabotage against national infrastructure, stressing that such actions not only disrupt smooth train operations but also pose serious safety risks to both passengers and railway staff. However, NRC assures the general public that train movement on the Lagos-Ibadan corridor was not obstructed and operations have continued without interruption.

“Security agencies have been notified to investigate and apprehend those responsible,” the statement read in part.

The corporation reaffirmed its commitment to providing safe and reliable railway services while urging residents and communities along the rail corridors to remain vigilant and promptly report any suspicious activities around railway facilities.

Source: Informationng