By Andy Asemota
The Senate has urged security agencies and the Federal Ministry of Transport to ensure that perpetrators of rail track vandalism are charged for economic sabotage without the option of a fine for maximum punishment.
The Upper Chamber gave this charge in a motion of urgent need to curb the dismantling of the standard/narrow gauge rail line by some disgruntled elements in the country.
The lawmakers also directed the Senate Committee on Police Affairs to liaise with the hierarchy of the Nigerian Police Force, the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Ministry of Interior to work out modalities towards regular patrol and surveillance of the rail tracks within the country.
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Similarly, the Red Chamber enjoined the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) and other relevant authorities to engage the services of local security guards along all the railway lines in the country.
Leading debate on the motion, Senator Buhari Abdulfatai (Oyo North, APC), noted that recently some unscrupulous persons damaged, vandalized, and maliciously cut out some portions of the newly constructed Warri – Itakpe Rail Line while the Lagos – Ibadan Rail Line was vandalized in 2019 with clips, bolts, and knots carted away.
Abdulfatai expressed worry that rail vandalism could cause acute train mishap, resulting in loss of lives thus tantamount to murder and destruction of property besides frustrating the government’s efforts in recent times at revamping the Nigerian rail that had been neglected for decades.
