…Condemns incessant attacks on facilities

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has pledged to intensify its crackdown on vandals following a surge in attacks on its facilities across the country. The Managing Director of NRC, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, made this declaration while condemning recent incidents of vandalism on critical railway infrastructure.

Opeifa stated that the corporation would work with security agencies to arrest and prosecute anyone found responsible for sabotaging the rail system, emphasizing the urgency of protecting the nation’s railway assets from criminal elements.

The NRC boss made the remarks in response to two separate incidents: a vandalism attack on the Warri-Itakpe line and another at the Oghaho Section, Nkanu East LGA, Enugu State in the Eastern District.

“At the Warri-Itakpe line, if not for the quick response of the NRC management, the line would have suffered another suspension of operations,” Opeifa noted.

According to him, the Warri-Itakpe incident was swiftly managed after the Agbarho Community Vigilante Group reported track vandalism at Agbarho Community, Ughelli North LGA of Delta State. NRC’s railway track and safety officers were immediately dispatched to the site, where they discovered that sections of the track at km 250 Agbarho – Okpara had been vandalized, with hold-down bolts and clips stolen by hoodlums.

“The railway crew promptly replaced all that were vandalized, and the track has been confirmed safe for the passage of trains. However, because of that unfortunate incident, WITS 01 of today, 12th May 2025, experienced a 40-minute delay in departure,” Opeifa stated.

In a separate development, the Oghaho Section in Nkanu East LGA, Enugu State, suffered significant damage when vandals dismantled two spans on Bridge No. 24 at KM284. Opeifa revealed that the criminals used oxygen to cut the heavy frames into pieces before fleeing the scene.

“The long spans of bridge beams were found on the ground, and efforts are being made to recover them,” he said, adding that the area is largely inaccessible due to long-standing issues of insecurity and banditry, which have forced many communities along the rail corridor to relocate.

Opeifa commended the Agbarho Community Vigilante Group for their vigilance and urged other communities to emulate their proactive approach by safeguarding railway facilities as national assets.

“Tackling railway facilities theft and vandalism is paramount. We’ve informed relevant security apparatus to do the needful. This national responsibility requires collective action to eliminate bad elements and setbacks,” Opeifa stressed.

He also praised the efforts of security agencies in combating what he described as “economic sabotage,” urging them to redouble their efforts while assuring that NRC is committed to supporting their operations to secure railway infrastructure nationwide.