Vandals Of Railway Tracks, Slippers Nabbed In Enugu

Three suspects who specialise in vandalising and stealing railway tracks and slippers have been nabbed by the Enugu State Police Command.

The suspects were caught alongside their operational lorries, with large pieces of the vandalized items recovered from them, police said.

According to the state police command’s public relations officer, ASP Daniel Ndukwe, “One Chukwuma Okoye, aged 56, and Oluchukwu Igboke, aged 25, both of Anambra State, were intercepted and arrested on 02/07/2021 at about 0140hrs, by a joint security patrol team, at Emene Enugu, along Enugu/Abakaliki highway.

“Upon search conducted on two Mercedes trucks with registration numbers AWK 296 YX and UWN 471 ZX, they were respectively driving, the operatives uncovered large pieces of vandalized railway tracks and slippers.

“They both confessed to be transporting them from Ezza-Nkwubor, Emene, to Anambra State. The two lorries and the vandalized items have been recovered.”

He added that police operatives attached to the command’s CP Monitoring Unit, on 10/06/2021, arrested one Boniface Eze, aged 37, of Anambra State, and recovered a Mercedes 911 lorry with registration number XC 360 UWN loaded with vandalized railway tracks and slippers at Ezza-Nkwubor, Emene, Enugu.

Ndukwe said, “His arrest is due to the operatives’ swift response to credible information, alleging that some persons vandalized the said railway tracks and slippers, loaded and were about to transport same to an unknown location.

“The suspect and driver of the said lorry also confessed to be transporting the vandalized items to Anambra State.”

He said efforts were on to arrest accomplices to the crime, with the view to charging them to court once investigation is concluded.

He said, “The state police commissioner, while frowning at the act of criminal vandalism of critical national infrastructure, such as railways, that are meant for public good, has warned unrepentant criminal elements to steer clear of such critical public assets in the state or be ready to face the full weight of the law.

“He, therefore, calls on residents of the state to remain law abiding, vigilant and promptly report criminals and their acts of vandalism to the nearest police station or by calling the command’s emergency hotlines on: *08032003702, 08075390883, 08086671202 or 080988880172.”