Five Men Arrested For Rail Vandalisation In Lagos

Five suspects have been arrested by the operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, of the Lagos Police Command for stealing 28 iron ballasts meant for rail lines in some parts of Lagos metropolis. OSUN DEFENDER discovered that three of the five suspects were ex-convicts.

The five suspects, who said they are scrap metal dealers, were intercepted inside a Vanagon bus with the registration number JJJ 929 EL by the operatives at 1:15 a.m on Friday in Agege area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.

The suspects include: Hameed Atairu (25), Akeem Muritala (23), Lawal Muritala (25), Tunde Olaunji (27) and the driver of the bus, Sarafa Ishola (38).

The suspects in their statements to the police stated that an official of the Nigerian Railway Corporation sold the iron to them.

However, preliminary investigations by the police revealed that the iron ballast were stolen from where they were kept for use.

Further investigations revealed that the iron ballast were meant for the basement of rail lines.

The suspects explained that they raised N35,000 among themselves to pay for the iron ballast.

Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Olarinde Famous – Cole confirmed the arrest of the five suspects.

He said that the suspects along with the exhibits recovered from them had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti for further investigation.