• We rejected N5m Bribe —Army Commander

Luck ran out of rail line vandals as Troops of 4 Special Forces, Doma, Nasarawa State, arrested 12 suspects at Angwan Yara in Keana Local Council of Nasarawa State.

The Command’s acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Major Joseph Afolasade, revealed this at a press briefing, yesterday, in Doma

Afolasade said: “On June 15, 2023, troops of the command, during a routine patrol, intercepted five suspected rail track vandals at an abandoned railway station between Angwan Yara and Agyaragu communities in Keana Local Council.

“The suspects were arrested with large quantity of rail track loaded in two trucks fully loaded.
“In the course of investigation, the troops arrested additional seven suspects on June 18, who made confessional statements.

“They admitted to have played various roles in rail track theft and mentioned the names of prominent persons in Nasarawa and Plateau states as being part of the syndicate,” he added.

Afolasade further revealed that the Army rejected the bribe of N5m offered by the suspects to allow them go free.

“They offered our personnel N5m to allow them go with the vandalised rail track equipment, but our men rejected the money and arrested them,” he added.

He noted that the suspects claimed that they were deceived by their sponsors who were on the run.
He added that the Commander of the Special Forces, Maj.-Gen. Owyinka Soyele, had approved that the suspects be handed over to  Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for further investigation and prosecution.

He, therefore, handed them over to the representative of Nasarawa State Commandant of NSCDC.
Responding, Deputy Commandant of NSCDC, Afere Joseph, commended the Army for the synergy to tackle insecurity and advised the residents to shun crime.

He, therefore, assured that the suspects would be prosecuted after investigation to serve as deterrent.

One of the suspects, Hasiru Modibbo, told newsmen that one of his business partners contacted him and sent N300 000 to the drivers of the two vehicles.

Railway line vandal has become one of the most lucrative crimes within the North Central communities where the popular South North rail line passes through.