The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) says vandals have destroyed the 33KV electricity supply line to the Rigasa railway station and the adjoining railway village in Kaduna state.
This occurred just 60 days after the power line was
repaired, Kayode Opeifa, the NRC managing director (MD), said in a statement on
Sunday.
He said the vandals carted away critical components and
plunged the entire area back into darkness after two years of a previous
blackout.
“NRC personnel discovered the damage in the early hours of
Friday, confirming that the newly-repaired line had, once more, been tampered
with by criminal elements,” Opeifa said in a NAN report.
Condemning the rising vandalism of railway infrastructure
nationwide, the MD asked security operatives in Kaduna to intensify
surveillance and track down vandals.
He said such criminal activities hinder the corporation’s
operations and undermine the agency’s mandate to provide safe, reliable, and
efficient transport services to Nigerians.
“The corporation assures passengers, host communities and
stakeholders of its unwavering commitment to safeguarding national railway
assets and enhancing service delivery across all corridors under the Renewed
Hope Rail Agenda,” Opeifa said.
The MD commended the judgment of the federal high court in
Ikoyi, Lagos, for sentencing two rail track vandals — Mudansuru Mutari, 27, and
Blorie Kokori, 39 — to two years imprisonment each for tampering with
Warri-Itakpe Rail Track components.
“The convicts, who were earlier apprehended around Kilometer
208 before Abraka, Delta State, and subsequently paraded by the Railway Police
Command, Lagos, were prosecuted on charges bordering on vandalism and economic
sabotage,” he said.
“They were found guilty under Section 36(6)(b) and Section
1(10) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap 17, Laws of the Federation of
Nigeria, 2024.”
He also lauded the judiciary, Justice A.I. Kala, the railway
police command, and the security agencies for diligent investigation and
successful prosecution of the rail track vandalism case.
Opeifa reiterated that the NRC will work closely with
security agencies to prosecute vandals, stressing that railway property are
national assets and not scraps.
He added that the federal government maintains a
zero-tolerance stance on vandalism.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com