Troops of 4 Special Forces Command in Doma, Nasarawa State, have arrested 12 suspected rail track vandals at Angwan Yara and Agyaragu communities in Keana Local Government Area of the state
The acting Deputy Director, of Army Public Relations, 4 Special Forces Command, Doma, Major Joseph Adekunle Afolasade, who handed over the suspects to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in the state, said the troops intercepted and arrested the five rail track vandals during a routine patrol on June 15.
The suspects were arrested in connection with the vandalism of a large number of tracks, loaded in two 12-tyre trucks, adding that during the investigation, prominent citizens within Lafia and Jos, Plateau State, were mentioned as members of the syndicate.
He added that following the outcome of the investigation, the troops conducted further raids at the residence of one of the kingpins, which led to the arrest of seven other suspects.
“The suspects were all profiled and administered cautionary statements, after which written statements were obtained from them to ascertain their level of involvement. Subsequently, they were individually interrogated and cross-examined,” he said.
He said the suspects confessed to the crime and claimed that they were deceived by the kingpins, who informed them that they had the approval from the federal government, Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) and some security agencies to vandalise and convey the tracks to Jos.
The acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations 4 Special Forces Command, Doma, Major Adekunle said the suspects made several attempts to bribe the soldiers with the sum of five million naira to avoid being arrested, saying that the troops of the command declined and carried out their duties diligently by refusing to take bribe as a trained special forces soldiers.
“May I also add that a lot of vandalised tracks are still left at the spot of their arrest waiting to be evacuated by these criminals,” he said.
He urged the relevant authorities to make adequate arrangements to secure the rail tracks, revealing that two other suspected rail vandals had earlier been arrested on June 5, 2023.
He informed that the suspects and exhibits were subsequently transferred to the Nigeria Police Criminal Investigations Department, Lafia for further action.
Responding, the Deputy Commandant of the NSCDC in the state, Efere Joseph while receiving all the suspects from the 4 Special Forces Command, appreciated the Army for the collaboration to tackle the state of insecurity in the state, assuring that all the suspects would be charged to court for prosecution after investigation to serve as a deterrent to others.
