By Kenneth Madaki
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has sealed a steel company in Kaduna for recycling stolen railway sleepers and tracks vandalised by a syndicate.
The Corps recovered from the company some of the stolen infrastructures, while it operatives arrested 12 suspects.
The Public Relations Officer of the Corps, Babawale Afolabi, described the vandals as a sophisticated criminal syndicate specialising in the theft, concealment, and recycling of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure (CNAI).
He said in a statement that viral videos of massive vandalisation of the newly laid Kaduna-Kano rail tracks and old existing tracks prompted the Special Intelligence Squad of Corps to trail the activities of the vandals and companies buying the products from them.
He said the Special Intelligence Squad operated alongside the Kaduna State Command of the Corps to identify, track, and apprehend the perpetrators of the criminal acts.
He explained that the squad, under the leadership of Commandant Apollos Dandaura, in collaboration with the NSCDC Kaduna State Command, stormed and sealed the Kaduna branch of Inner Galaxy Steel Company located at Birnin Yero, Igabi Local Government Council.
He said it was discovered that the company operated a criminal smokescreen, posing as a scrap-buying entity while actually serving as a hub for receiving vandalised railway materials, NNPC pipes, and Water Board infrastructure.
The company purchases stolen tracks and pipes from vandals, compressing them into scrap at the Kaduna site, and subsequently transport them to their head office in Aba, Abia State. There, the stolen national assets were melted and recycled into nails and iron rods to be sold back to the public.
“Twelve key suspects were apprehended during the raid and exhibits recovered at the scene include massive quantities of vandalised railway tracks, slippers, and suspected NNPC and Water Board pipes worth billions of Naira. The Inner Galaxy Steel Company facility has been sealed, and the suspects will be charged to court upon the conclusion of ongoing investigations,” Babawale added.