The Management of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC has denied the allegation that attempts were made to steal the train coaches in Maiduguri, Bornu State on Saturday.
In a statement, NRC revealed that the coaches were being moved to a running shed in Jos, Plateau State for an overhaul and called the report fake.
“The attention of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has been drawn to news trending on numerous social media platforms purported to have emanated from the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), in which it was reported that an attempt was made to steal NRC coaches from Maiduguri.
NRC management wishes to clarify this as erroneous, stating that the said coaches are officially being moved to NRC Running Shed Jos, Plateau State to be overhauled. With the view of putting them back to operation, NRC is trying to extend Rail Mass Transit all over the country.”
However, NTA News reported that six persons have been arrested by the Police Command in Maiduguri over the attempt to steal the coaches and confirmed that the arrest was in line with the executive order signed by the Benue State Governor against scavenging.
“There was a distress call from railway quarters that loaded trailers were sighted evacuating properties belonging to railway Nigeria. The properties include three coaches. The Divisional Police Officer mobilized his men to rescue the situation. One Aliyu Meneserah was arrested who claimed he was the director of North East District headquartered in Bauchi and had been assigned by the MD of the railway corporation to evacuate the coaches to Plateau State. According to him, the railway corporation wanted to hand it over to the Plateau State Government to initiate intra-railway transport in the Plateau metropolis. The suspect has no identity to certify his claim.” Commissioner of Police Mohammed Yusuf Lawan said.
Meanwhile, the CP further stated that the principal suspect is at large at the moment.
