NRC train coaches
Police report of stolen train coaches ‘erroneous’ – NRC
Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has dispelled reports of claims by the Niger0ia police of arresting suspected thieves attempting to steal train coaches belonging to the corporation, describing the report as ‘erroneous.’
It would be recalled that the Police Command in Borno State had confirmed arresting some unidentified suspected who it claimed were attempting to steal some train coaches of the NRC following a tip-off by ‘good Samaritans,’ Saturday, in Maiduguri, the state capital.
The Borno police spokesperson, Sami Kamilu, who confirmed the incident, disclosed that six suspects had been arrested.
“Yes, it’s confirmed. We can’t confirm the number of train coaches yet but it is true. We also arrested six suspects and that is all I can tell you for now,” Kamilu said.
The incident which occurred at the Maiduguri Railway Terminus was initially denied by the spokesperson of the NRC Mahmood Yakubu, amid the continued detention of the alleged suspects by the police.
However, the NRC has denied the claims by the police, insisting that there was no attempt by anyone to steal train coaches from its premises in Maiduguri.
Refuting the report, Managing Director of the NRC, Engineer Fidet Okhiria explained that the people moving the train coaches were doing so in official capacity.
According to Okhiria, the corporation had duly informed the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on the movement of train coaches.
However, while the Police Command in Borno insists it was not informed on the movement of the train coaches, the NRC in a statement informed that the said train coaches were ‘officially being moved to NRC Running Shed Jos, Plateau State to be overhauled.’
“The attention of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has been drawn to news trending on numerous social media platforms purported to have emanated from Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), in which it was reported that attempt was made to steal NRC coaches from Maiduguri.
“NRC management wishes to clarify this as erroneous, stating that the said coaches are officially being moved to NRC Running Shed Jos, Plateau State to be overhauled. With the view of putting them back to operation. NRC is trying to extend Rail Mass Transit all over the country,” the NRC statement read.
Meanwhile, it is not yet clear the fate of the alleged train coach thieves as they remain in police custody.
