Nasarawa governor’s aide, Chinese national arrested for ‘vandalising rail tracks’

The Nasarawa police command says it has arrested an aide to Abdullahi Sule, governor of Nasarawa; a Chinese national, and some security agents for their alleged involvement in vandalising rail tracks.

According to a statement on Thursday, the suspects were paraded during a media briefing at the command headquarters in Lafia, the Nasarawa capital.

Bola Longe, Nasarawa commissioner for police, said those arrested included officers from the police force, as well as the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

“On 16/5/2021 at about 0130hrs, and 24/5/2021 at about 0300hrs, respectively, police operatives swooped on the vandals at their theatre of operation while vandalising and carting away railway tracks/slippers along Agyaragu Tofa in Lafia LGA and Angwan Alago of Kadarko district in Keana LGA,” the statement reads.

“The following suspects were arrested at the crime scenes: Samuel Asoloko, a personnel of the Nigerian Legion; Aliyu Abdullahi; Dan Amana; Abdul Qayyumu Abubakar; Inspr. Richard Joseph attached to State Criminal Investigation Department, Lafia; Sgt. Mali Peter attached to State Criminal Investigation Department, Lafia; Ibrahim Amegwa Usman, a personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps attached to Arm Squad, Lafia.

“Furthermore, extensive investigation into this case led to the arrest of 11 additional suspects, namely: Jubrin Ibrahim Hayas, Yusuf Abubakar Musa, a.k.a. Yusuf Mada, special adviser to the governor of Nasarawa State on infrastructure; Mohammed Isiaka, former supervisory councillor on education, Nasarawa Eggon LGA; Marra Thai, a Chinese national and manager of Yong Xing Steel Company, Tunga Maje, Abuja”.

Others arrested were listed as “Jacob Terlumun Emmanuel, procurement officer of the Chinese company; Samuel Shagbaor, a staff of the Nigerian Railway Corporation and the principal technical officer covering Agyaragu, Lafia and its suburbs; Umaru Dauda; Yusuf Ahmed; Abubakar Nuhu; Mohammed Abdullahi, and Nathaniel Oba, principal partner, Nathoba & Co., a law chamber in Benin city and the legal adviser to Yong Xing Steel Company Nigeria Limited”.

The legal adviser was said to have offered N600,000 “to bribe the investigating team of the anti-kidnapping unit to secure the release of his client”.

Items recovered are: “One Falker Mercedes Benz truck with registration number LFA 636 ZX loaded with vandalised rail tracks/slippers; one DAF with registration number T-1726 LA trailer loaded with vandalised rail tracks/slippers; N160,000 offered as bribe to secure the release of the vehicle; two white Peugeot J5 buses, one of which was [loaded] with vandalised rail tracks with registration number XU 790 ENU ENUGU and QAP 654 XA”.

He added that investigation into the case is ongoing.