The Nigeria Police Force has announced the recovery of railway materials worth N400 million from two suspected railway vandals.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by DCP Anthony Okon Placid, Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, Abuja, on Monday.
The Police described the development as a large-scale vandalisation of critical national infrastructure, adding that the arrest was carried out by the Force Intelligence Department Special Tactical Squad (FID-STS).
According to the statement, the two suspects arrested were allegedly involved in the large-scale vandalisation of critical national infrastructure, which led to the “recovery of railway materials valued at over N400,000,000”.
The operation reportedly led to the interception of a trailer truck conveying approximately 60 tonnes of vandalised railway tracks and sleepers.
The Police stated that preliminary investigations revealed that the truck driver was contracted for the sum of N2,500,000 to transport the vandalised materials.
Further findings also indicated an organised supply chain linked to receivers of such stolen infrastructure.
The statement further read:
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, commended the operatives for their courage, discipline, and incorruptibility.
Nigeria Police Force reiterated its commitment to safeguarding national assets from vandalism.
The development comes nearly a year after police authorities announced the recovery of properties worth N6 billion from suspects linked to other financial crimes, particularly money laundering.
Reports indicated that the IGP was investigating a large-scale fraud and money laundering case amounting to N21.4 billion at the time.
This development underscores ongoing efforts by law enforcement authorities, particularly the Nigeria Police Force, to curb financial crimes and enforce relevant criminal laws.
Several criminal laws prescribe jail terms for offences such as vandalism, concealment of proceeds of crime, destruction of evidence, and fraud.
