The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has busted a large-scale vandalism and illegal recycling network in Kaduna State, arresting several suspects and shutting down a steel company allegedly involved in handling stolen national infrastructure worth billions of naira.
The NSCDC said the operation was based on intelligence reports and viral video clips on the massive vandalisation of the newly laid train rails along the Kaduna–Kano route. The Kaduna State Command in collaboration with the Corps’ Special Intelligence Squad had embarked on a coordinated raid which brought to light what officials described as a sophisticated syndicate operating under the cover of a scrap metal business.
Operatives assaulted a steel complex in Birnin Yero, Igabi Local Government Area, said to be related to the Inner Galaxy Steel Company during the operation. The facility was alleged to have purchased stolen railway tracks, sleepers, NNPC pipes, and water infrastructure supplies from vandals.
Investigators found the suspected network was taking stolen assets and compressing them into scrap before shipping them somewhere to be recycled into finished metal goods such as rods and nails. The authorities stated the recycled materials were ultimately sold back into the market, establishing a criminal loop that impeded the development of national infrastructure.
The NSCDC said it arrested some suspects, including corporate personnel and scrap handlers, while huge quantities of vandalised railway goods and suspected pipeline components were confiscated from the site. The worth of the stolen infrastructure was reaching into billions of naira, the agency said.
The Corps stated the site has been sealed off pending further investigation and all suspects would be punished for conspiracy, illicit possession of stolen property and economic sabotage.
In reaction to the development, the Commandant General of the NSCDC complimented the operatives participating in the raid, reiterating the Corps commitment to the protection of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure across the country.
The Nigerian Railway Corporation also confirmed the identification of the recovered goods and lauded the operation as a major step in the fight against railway vandalism.
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