Five persons suspected of vandalising railway tracks and sleepers, who were intercepted and arrested by the military at Sarkin Pawa, Munya Local Government Area of Niger State, were paraded yesterday before newsmen by the state commissioner of police, CP Shawulu Ebenezer Danmamman, at the police command headquarters in Minna.
The commissioner of police, while briefing journalists during the parade of the suspects, along with 10 other suspects who were involved in various criminal offences, said the efforts were part of the command's achievements recorded this year for the second time.
CP Danmamman, however, revealed that the track record of the officers and men of the command was a renewed effort and determination of the police to keep the state safe from all forms of criminal activities, and he said that Niger will not be used as a transit by criminal elements and go free, adding that anyone caught will be made to face the law.
According to him, the suspects were intercepted and arrested by the military components at Sarkin Pawa with a RAF truck vehicle with registration number KTN 246 YZ along Katima Bridge, Sarkin Pawa, fully loaded with railway tracks and sleepers suspected to have been vandalised from the railway site.
The suspects were Adekunle Saheed, 44 years old, from Oyo State; Saifullahi Umar, 36 years old, from Katsina State; Awal Mansir, 25 years old, from Katisna State; Kabiru Lawal, 36 years old, also from Katisna State; and Aminu, 19 years old, from Katisna State.
During the police interrogation, Adekunle Saheed confessed that one Engr. Ali, his boss, detailed him through a phone call to hire a truck and convey the railway infrastructure from Katama village, Kaduna, to Kwara state.
Efforts were ongoing to arrest the said Engr. Ali as the case was under investigation in SCID Minna.