The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has condemned the renewed vandalism of its facilities following the destruction of a 33KV electricity supply line serving the Rigasa railway station and the adjacent railway village in Kaduna State.
NRC Managing Director, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, disclosed in a statement on Sunday that the power infrastructure was vandalised just 60 days after it was repaired. He said the criminals carted away vital components, plunging the entire area into darkness once again after residents had endured a two-year blackout prior to the most recent fix.
Opeifa explained that NRC personnel discovered the damage early on Friday, confirming that the newly restored line had been tampered with by what he described as “criminal elements.”
He expressed frustration at the rising cases of vandalism targeting railway assets nationwide and urged security agencies in Kaduna State to intensify surveillance and arrest those responsible.
According to him, the repeated attacks on railway infrastructure disrupt the corporation’s operations and undermine efforts to deliver safe and efficient transportation services to Nigerians.
He assured passengers, host communities, and stakeholders of the NRC’s commitment to protecting national rail assets and improving service delivery under the Renewed Hope Rail Agenda.
The NRC boss also commended the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, for the conviction of two railway vandals — 27-year-old Mudansuru Mutari and 39-year-old Blorie Kokori — who were sentenced to two years imprisonment for tampering with components of the Warri–Itakpe rail track.
The convicts were earlier arrested near Kilometer 208 before Abraka in Delta State and paraded by the Railway Police Command, Lagos.
They were prosecuted on charges relating to vandalism and economic sabotage, and 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.
Opeifa praised Justice A. I. Kala, the judiciary, the railway police command, and other security agencies for their diligence in investigating and prosecuting the case. He reaffirmed that the NRC will continue to collaborate closely with security operatives to ensure that vandals are brought to justice, stressing that railway infrastructure is national property and must not be treated as scrap. He added that the federal government maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy on vandalism.
