The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) is raising the alarm over the ongoing vandalism of its rail facilities, urging state governments to take ownership and help protect rail tracks within their territories. Managing Director Dr Kayode Opeifa spoke out at a recent event in Lagos where two suspects were paraded for removing over 300 bolts and clips along the Warri–Itakpe rail corridor.
One suspect, a local farmer, was caught amid increasing insecurity that forced the NRC to shut a train station in June. Opeifa revealed plans to work with Delta State and increase local community involvement to tackle vandalism. The NRC also aims to install solar lighting around stations in collaboration with the Rural Electrification Agency to enhance security.
Police railway command officials confirmed vandalism as an organized crime with investigations extending to scrap buyers. The President General of the Nigerian Union of Railway Workers, Innocent Ajiji, highlighted that such attacks lead to accidents, derailments, and threaten passenger safety despite workers’ efforts under difficult conditions.
The NRC stress that railway assets are critical national infrastructure, not scrap, and called for urgent collective action to safeguard Nigeria’s rail system.
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