NRC warns of rising railway vandalism in Plateau, Bauchi

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has sounded an alarm over a significant increase in railway infrastructure vandalism across Plateau and Bauchi States. The corporation warns that these destructive acts pose severe risks to public safety, economic activities, and national security, describing them as a direct assault on critical national infrastructure.

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the dangerous activities of criminal elements involved in the destruction and illegal movement of railway materials.

Recent incidents highlight the severity of the problem. On May 21, 2026, a truck laden with what were suspected to be vandalized railway materials became stuck between Kuru and Science School in Plateau State. In Bauchi State, along the Zango railway corridor, railway slippers were completely removed on both sides of a level crossing, leaving only fragmented rail pieces.

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catastrophic train accidents, disruption of rail services, loss of lives and destruction of government investments worth billions of naira.

These acts of vandalism could lead to catastrophic train accidents, disrupt vital rail services, cause loss of life, and result in the destruction of billions of naira worth of government investments. The NRC emphasized that railway tracks, slippers, clips, fastenings, and signaling materials are essential national assets funded by taxpayers to support transportation, trade, and economic development, and should not be treated as scrap for illicit businesses.

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should never be treated as scraps for illegal business.

NRC Managing Director and CEO, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, condemned the persistent attacks, labeling the trend as sabotage against national progress and a threat to passenger and personnel safety. He noted that the escalating incidents in the North Central and North East corridors signal a dangerous pattern requiring urgent, collective action from security agencies, state governments, traditional rulers, community leaders, and residents along railway lines. Opeifa appealed to the public to view railway infrastructure as a national symbol and strategic economic asset that demands constant protection, warning that vandals and scrap dealers face the full force of the law.

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According to him, the increasing incidents of vandalism in the North Central and North East corridors indicate a dangerous pattern that requires urgent collective action from security agencies, state governments, traditional rulers, community leaders, and residents living along railway lines.