From Victor Akinkuolie,Ado-Ekiti
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has arrested 12 suspects vandalizing railway sleepers and seized two trucks carrying stolen railway sleepers.
The NSCDC Director of Public Relations, Commandant Olusola Odumosu, made this disclosure in a statement issued to newsmen ,
The Corps, he said, discovered two illegal warehouses containing large quantities of vandalised railway sleepers. These arrests were made during three separate operations within two weeks by the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad.
According to Odumosu, the arrests were made at Kafanchan- Kwoi Road, Kaduna State, and Agwan-Kuje village, Nasarawa and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp, Keffi- Abuja expressway”.
“The vandals were arrested while they were loading stolen railway sleepers in a bush in Nasarawa based on intelligence reports received by the squad.
“A long open trailer already loaded with over 500 pieces of vandalised railway sleepers alleged to be owned by the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) was also concealed under sacks of groundnut dust.
“Retrieved from the suspects was a forged copy of the NRC scrap delivering paper,” he said.
The NSCDC sopkespeson also mentioned that the squad arrested three individuals who were transporting vandalised railway sleepers concealed with rice chaff in a bus along the Keffi-Abuja expressway. Additionally, four other suspected vandals were arrested while loading railway sleepers into an illegal warehouse that was already filled in Kaduna.
He added that the arrested suspects and exhibits will be investigated further to aid in future arrests. He encouraged citizens to provide helpful information that would assist in the arrest of vandals across the nation to reduce the rate of critical infrastructural vandalism.
He cautioned individuals with criminal intentions of stealing the country’s assets to stop because the corps would take action against anyone found guilty of such criminal activity.
… Parades 12 suspected criminals in Ekiti
Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Ekiti State Command, at the weekend paraded 12 suspected criminals, for various crimes ranging from conspiracy, cultism, illicit dealings in drugs, stealing to burgling.
Parading the suspects at the office of the Counter Terrorism Base (CTB) of the NSCDC, located along Afao road, Ado-Ekiti, the state Commandant, Mr John Fayemi, commended the efforts and tactics operation put in place by the CTU to trace the syndicate from Ado-Ekiti to where they were eventually arrested.
Fayemi explained that the suspects who were arrested in various parts of the state were among those who have been on the wanted list of the Corps for terrorising residents of the state.
The Ekiti NSCDC Commandant who lamented over what he called high number of perpetrators of illicit drug dealing in the state, especially in Ado-Ekiti, disclosed that the substances were transported from rural areas to the state capital.
He appealed to traditional rulers in the state to make sure forests are safe from those he called marauders, kidnappers, armed robbers and other criminals.
The NSCDC helmsman also assured government will not fail in its quest to protect the people from manmade associated problems.
He mentioned the names of the suspects to include, Odidiomo Abiodun, 37; Kehinde Owodele, 34; Idowu Owodele 32; Aliu Jubril, 31; Mohammed Fatai, 24; Kelvin Jeremiah, 31; Ayomiposi Ayodele 17; Suleiman Aliu 25; Ibrahim Mohammed, 20; Ojo Olakunle, 26; Olaniyi Yinka, 30 and Faleye Odunayo, 39.
Fayemi said some of the suspects were arrested in thick forests between Awo Ekiti, in Ido/Osi Local Government and Igede- Ekiti where they were processing the illicit drugs, to be supplied to users in Ado and Ikere-Ekiti through despatch riders.
“Fakaye Odunayo was arrested separately in Ado- Ekiti when a manhunt was launched against him as he was suspected to have broken into his employer’s house, carting away properties worth over N1.5 million.”
He said preliminary investigation showed that the group might be behind kidnapping incidents along Ido Osi and Irepodun /Ifelodun axis of the state as they are residing in the forest where victims of kidnappings were kept before ransom is paid.
“The suspects will be charged to court as soon as preliminary investigations are concluded.
“Items recovered from the suspects include, three Bajaj motor bikes, substances suspected to be cannabis sativa, tramadol, wraps of drugs, charms and various brands phones.
