How Officers Rejected N30m Bribe From Vandals Arrested With 5 Trucks Of Rail Sleepers – NSCDC

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested 13 suspected railway vandals with large quantities of long rails and sleepers worth N800 million Naira.

The suspects were paraded alongside five trucks conveying the large quantities of vandalised rail sleepers at the NSCDC Headquarters, Abuja, on Tuesday.

The NSCDC National Public Relations, Babawale Afolabi, during the parade, said that the suspects were arrested by the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad (CGs SIS).

Afolabi said that the arrests took place around the Manchock area of Kaura LGA, Zonkwa area in Zango Kataf LGA, and Kaffanchan area in Jama’a LGA of Kaduna State.

“The 13 suspects and 5 trucks impounded have been taken into custody for profiling and further investigation and prosecution.

“The 13 suspects are still being interrogated and cross-examined after which other accomplices will be arrested and charged to court,” he said.

He disclosed that upon arrest, the CG’s squad members were offered a huge sum but they refused to accept the proposed bribe.

“When they were apprehended the Commander of the squad was offered the sum of N30million which was rejected,” he said.

According to the PRO, the NSCDC Commandant General (CG), Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi has decried the continuous vandalism across the country by economic saboteurs and their accomplices.

He frowned at the yet-to-be-identified iron and steel companies who always process and melt the vandalized rail track iron and sleepers.

“Efforts are in top gear to smash and unmask these syndicates and make them face the wrath of the law no matter how highly or lowly placed,” he said.

The PRO said that while interviewing one of the truck drivers, whose name was withheld, he said that he was offered N1.2 million upon delivery of the stolen items to Ilorin.

The suspect said that he was however given N200,000 advance payment at which he gave N100,000 to the agent who contacted him for the job.

The Manager of the Federal Railway Corporation, North Central District, Mr Austin Ashibekong, said the arrests were made within his jurisdiction.

“I want to confirm to you that these are vandalised long railways that had been cut into pieces and everywhere in the North-Central district is experiencing a surge in the vandalisation of track materials.

“They vandalize the long rails, the sleepers, android clips, and other railway components which has been a major hurt in our management,” he said.

According to Ashibekong, the materials run to hundreds of millions, bearing in mind that no railway material can be sourced locally.

“Even the nuts can not be sourced locally and all these costs the Federal Government a great deal and somebody will come overnight to vandalise them for selfish and personal interest.

He further commended the efforts of the NSCDC in curbing such crimes as he called for continuous partnership.

“We welcome any other security agency that will join in this fight so that we try as much as possible to curb the vandalisation that has surged in recent years.

“This team set up by the CG is a laudable achievement and we are out here to support them, the Apex management of the corporation is happy to see these arrests being carried out.

“We should come out to support this exercise, the efforts and encourage the management of the corps to further empower personnel,” he said.