"12 Rail Track Vandals Apprehended by Army in Nasarawa, N5m Bribe Rejected"

12 suspected rail track vandals have been apprehended by troops from the 4 Special Forces in Doma, Nasarawa State. This was revealed by Maj. Joseph Afolasade, Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, during a press briefing in Doma on Friday. The arrest took place on June 15, 2023, when the troops, conducting a routine patrol, intercepted five individuals suspected of vandalizing rail tracks at an abandoned railway station between Angwan Yara and Agyaragu communities in Keana Local Government Area.

The suspects were caught red-handed with a significant amount of rail tracks, which were loaded onto two trucks. Further investigations led to the arrest of seven additional suspects on June 18, who confessed to their involvement in the theft of the rail tracks. They also implicated several notable individuals from Nasarawa and Plateau States as part of their criminal network.

Maj. Afolashade disclosed that the suspects attempted to bribe the troops with a sum of N5 million, which was promptly rejected. Maj.-Gen. Owyinka Soyele, Commander of the Special Forces, authorized the handover of the suspects to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for further investigation and prosecution.

Afere Joseph, a Deputy Commandant representing the Nasarawa State Commandant of the NSCDC, expressed gratitude to the Army for their collaborative efforts in combating insecurity in the state. He assured that thorough investigations would be conducted and the suspects would face prosecution as a deterrent.

Maj. Afolasade added that the arrested individuals claimed they were deceived by their sponsors, who are currently evading capture. Hasiru Modibbo, one of the suspects, informed reporters that he was contacted by one of his business partners, who sent N300,000 to the truck drivers involved in the operation.