The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has smashed a syndicate allegedly involved in the vandalism, theft and recycling of critical national infrastructure, including railway tracks, NNPC pipelines and water board installations.

Spokesman for NSCDC Babawale Afolabi disclosed this during a briefing on Wednesday in Kaduna.

Mr Afolabi said the operation followed a viral video showing massive vandalisation of newly laid Kaduna-Kano rail tracks and existing railway infrastructure in the northern part of the country.

He said NSCDC’s commandant general, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, directed the Special Intelligence Squad and the Kaduna command to identify and apprehend those behind the act.

Mr Afolabi said operatives on Tuesday dismantled what he described as an international and local syndicate operating under a sophisticated criminal cover. He alleged that the suspects used the premises of Inner Galaxy Steel Company at Birnin Yero in Igabi LGA of Kaduna as a front for their activities.

According to him, the company allegedly compressed vandalised railway materials into scrap at its Kaduna facility before transporting them to Aba in Abia, where they were melted and recycled into nails and iron rods.

“This criminal cycle has caused the Federal Government monumental economic losses,” he said.

Mr Afolabi added that the suspects allegedly conspired with vandals to purchase stolen railway tracks, slippers, NNPC pipes and water board infrastructure. He added that seven suspects had been arrested in connection with the case.

The suspects are Usman Hassan, company manager; Bilyaminu Usman, weighbridge operator; Choji Pam, weighbridge officer; Jamilu Jaafar, scrap collector; Chukwuemeka Udonwoke, supervisor; Chikwodilli Ezema, company manager; and Isaac Etim, scrap leader.

According to Mr Afolabi, the suspects are being processed for criminal conspiracy, unlawful possession of vandalised property and receiving stolen property.

Items recovered from the scene included large quantities of vandalised railway tracks and slippers, suspected NNPC and water board pipes, as well as specialised machinery allegedly used for compressing and concealing stolen infrastructure.

Mr Afolabi also disclosed that the SIS and Kaduna command arrested five suspects for vandalising rail tracks along the Kaduna-Abuja corridor at Gwagwada community in Chikun LGA. He said exhibits recovered from them included railway tracks, slippers and gas cylinders allegedly used in destroying the infrastructure.

The managing director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Kayode Opeifa, commended the NSCDC for recovering large quantities of railway materials allegedly vandalised and concealed in Kaduna.

(NAN)