A private guards company enlisted to secure the Abuja Rail Mass Transit infrastructure has arrested 13 suspects for allegedly vandalising armoured cables and other railway equipment.

Managing director of the security company, Segun Adekola, alongside officials of the Transport Secretariat of the FCT, paraded the suspects before journalists in Abuja on Friday.

Mr Adekola said 10 of the suspects were vandals while the three others were buyers of the vandalised equipment.

He expressed regret that some of the 100 suspected vandals the company had arrested over the years were released on bail and they went back to the crime.

“We have been working with relevant stakeholders in the discharge of our duties and acting on tip-offs; we were able to arrest recalcitrant vandals.

“The 13 suspects will be handed over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps for further profiling and prosecution,’’ Mr Adekola said.

In his remarks, the security company’s director of operations, James Chukwu, said the Chinese company handling the rail rehabilitation project had been contacted and was cooperating in the investigation.

He said one of the suspects said the Chinese company handling the project engaged them to remove worn-out cables.

The suspect admitted that in the course of discharging the function, they helped themselves to some of the cables and other metals, which they sold to unidentified companies, Mr Chukwu said.

He added that the suspect also told the security company that they resorted to self-help because the N1,100 daily wage paid by the employer was not enough for sustenance. 

(NAN)