The Nigerian Railway Corporation has raised concerns over renewed attacks on railway infrastructure in Plateau State and Bauchi State, warning that the incidents threaten public safety, economic activities, and national security.
In a statement on Saturday, the corporation’s Chief Public Relations Officer, Callistus Unyimadu, described the vandalism as an attack on critical national infrastructure.
The NRC reported that on May 21, 2026, a truck allegedly carrying vandalised railway materials became stuck between Kuru and the Science School area in Plateau State, exposing what it called criminal activity along the rail corridor.
It also revealed that in Zango, Bauchi State, between Kilometre 878 and 889, railway slippers were completely removed on both sides of a level crossing, leaving only scattered rail fragments.
The corporation warned that such actions could lead to “catastrophic train accidents, disruption of rail services, loss of lives and destruction of government investments worth billions of naira.”
It stressed that railway materials such as tracks, slippers, clips, fastenings, and signalling equipment are critical national assets funded by taxpayers and essential for transportation and economic development.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NRC, Kayode Opeifa, condemned the repeated vandalism, describing it as sabotage against national progress and a threat to passengers and railway workers.
He noted that the growing incidents across the North Central and North East corridors point to a worrying trend that requires urgent collaboration between security agencies, traditional rulers, community leaders, and residents living near rail lines.
Opeifa urged Nigerians to treat railway infrastructure as a national economic asset that must be protected and warned vandals and illegal scrap dealers to desist or face prosecution.
The corporation also called for intensified surveillance by security agencies and encouraged the public to report suspicious activities around railway facilities nationwide.