The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has arrested two suspects and recovered a large quantity of stolen railway materials in a major operation targeting the vandalism and illegal transportation of railway infrastructure along the Bauchi-Kano corridor.
The operation, carried out by the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad (CG’s SIS), formed part of an intensified nationwide crackdown on economic saboteurs accused of attacking critical national assets.
The suspects, identified as 65-year-old Alzuma Yakubu and 32-year-old Ismail Muhammad, were intercepted while allegedly transporting suspected vandalised railway sleepers in a Peugeot Boxer vehicle with registration number KMC-366-TE.
According to the NSCDC, operatives acted on credible intelligence regarding the unlawful movement of railway infrastructure from Tafawa-Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State to Kano State.
NSCDC spokesman, Afolabi Babawale, said a thorough search of the vehicle along the Bauchi-Kano Road uncovered a large consignment of suspected railway sleepers concealed inside the truck.
He explained that the driver, Yakubu, alongside Muhammad, who allegedly claimed ownership of the materials, was immediately arrested, while the vehicle and recovered items were impounded as exhibits.
Babawale said the operation followed a directive by the Commandant General of the Corps, Ahmed Audi, who ordered the deployment of the CG’s Special Intelligence Squad to Bauchi State amid growing concerns over the increasing vandalism of railway infrastructure in the region.
According to him, the deployment came after an alarm reportedly raised by the Bauchi State governor over the activities of suspected criminal elements allegedly operating under the guise of contractors linked to “Des-Rail Limited.”
The Commandant General subsequently directed the Special Intelligence Squad, led by Commandant Apollos Dandaura, to dismantle networks allegedly involved in the systematic destruction and illegal removal of railway infrastructure along the Bauchi-Gombe axis.
Security sources disclosed that the arrested suspects were providing investigators with useful information as efforts intensified to uncover the wider criminal syndicate behind the operation.
Investigators are also reportedly tracing secret warehouses allegedly used for storing vandalised railway materials before they are transported to other states for illegal sale.
The NSCDC described the interception as a major breakthrough in the federal government’s ongoing efforts to protect Critical National Assets and Infrastructure, particularly railway facilities considered essential to economic growth and transportation development.
The Corps also warned vandals, scrap dealers and other criminal elements involved in the destruction of public infrastructure that Bauchi and neighbouring states would no longer serve as safe havens for illegal activities.
The latest operation has further highlighted growing concerns over the rising threat of infrastructure vandalism across Nigeria, with security agencies increasingly confronting organised syndicates accused of sabotaging public investments worth billions of naira.
Analysts say persistent attacks on railway infrastructure continue to undermine economic development and threaten ongoing federal government efforts to modernise Nigeria’s transportation network and
