The Oyo State Police Command has arrested two suspected vandals caught in the act of stealing clips used to fasten rail track.
The state Commissioner of Police, Ngozi Onadeko, said in a statement on Monday night that the two suspects were arrested at Omi-Adio area in Ibadan on Friday.
The CP said the suspects were caught in the act and some of the clips and other components already vandalised were recovered from them
The statement read, “In a sustained effort to rid Oyo State off criminal elements and as well secure its critical assets and infrastructure, the dragnet of the Oyo State Police Command on Friday 18/02/2022 caught up with suspected vandals specialised in the criminal trade of harvesting and selling Pandrol (Railroad) clips.
“The suspects; Ibrahim Saidu ‘m’ age 20 years and his accomplice, Muritala Abdulahi ‘m’ age 30 years were arrested on Friday 18/02/2022 at about 18:30hrs in the act of vandalising rail infrastructure at Ile-Esho Area, Omi-Adio in Ido Local Government Area.
“This followed intelligence-driven surveillance by the command operatives attached to Omi-Adio Divisional Police Headquarters.
“Thirty-four pandrol clips/railroad clips, one fish plate, one hacksaw and a damaged railpot were among the items recovered from the suspects.
“The suspects have confessed to the crime and are cooperating with ongoing investigations tailored at apprehending their entire criminal network.”
The commissioner of police urged members of the public to be unrelenting in the provision of credible and timely information, capable of nipping crime in the bud at all times.
Trains traveling from Ibadan to Lagos and the one coming from Lagos to Ibadan were forced to stop in the bush around Papalanto on Saturday, February 12 after Nigerian Railway Corporation officials discovered that vandals had removed some clips used to fasten the rail track.
Passengers became afraid following the development and it took the NRC engineers about 30 minutes to replace the stolen components for the trains to continue with their journey.
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