NRC Official Arrested Over Alleged Cable Theft

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced the arrest of one of its employees, Gift Eseeli, aged 38, on charges of cable theft at Rafa Yard, situated along the Warri-Itakpe Train Service (WITS) corridor.

The individual was taken into custody by operatives from the Man O’ War Railway Command.

As reported by the NRC spokesperson, Callistus Unyimadu, initial investigations reveal that multiple lengths of 50mm armoured signal cable had been extracted from the trackside installations prior to the intervention of alert officers led by Williams Agiake, who arrested the suspect.

Naija News understands that the recovered stolen items were returned in their entirety to the Nigerian Police Force, which has initiated a comprehensive investigation.

The Managing Director/CEO, Kayode Opeifa, expressed his disapproval of the incident in a statement and emphasised that individuals found guilty of damaging national assets will face severe legal consequences.

“Railway assets are national assets. Acts of vandalism endanger passengers’ safety and sabotage the Renewed Hope infrastructure drive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration,” Opeifa stated.

He stated that the NRC would take legal action against any person or group, including workers, who are found guilty of vandalism, without making any exceptions.

It is worth noting that the vandalism of railway assets has become a frequent issue. Recently, on the Warri-Itakpe Train, vandalism of the track caused operational disruptions approximately two weeks ago, prior to the repair of the affected section.