The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has countered media reports claiming that the police foiled an attempt to steal railway coaches in Maiduguri, Borno State.
On Saturday, October 14, 2023, the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) reported on its X (formerly Twitter) account that the Borno State police claimed to have intercepted three coaches illegally being transported out of the Maiduguri Railway Terminus.
According to the report, acting on a tip-off of Good Samaritans, the police swooped in on the suspect, who identified himself as Aliu Mainansara, the Director North-East District of the NRC headquartered in Bauchi.
Mainasara had told the police that he was acting on the directive of the Managing Director of the NRC, Fidet Okhiria, who asked him to evacuate the coaches to Plateau State.
However, the police said Mainasara had no identity to ascertain his claim of being an official of the corporation and subsequently arrested him.
“There was a distress call received from Railway Quarters. Loader trailers were sighted at railway terminus in Maiduguri, evacuating and loading properties belonging to Nigerian Railway Cooperation. The properties include three coaches.
“On the receipt of that information, the divisional police officer mobilised his men to behind railway quarters and there and then one Aliu Mainansara was arrested.
“The same Mainasara claimed that he’s the director North-East district headquartered in Bauchi and that he’s been directed by the MD of the Nigerian Railway Corporation to come and evacuate the coaches to Plateau State, where, according to him, from his claims, that the Railway corporation wanted to hand it over to Plateau State government to initiate intra-railway transport within Jos metropolis.
“But the suspect has no identity to certain his claim that he’s actually the district manager of Railway corporation Bauchi,” the police said during a media briefing.
NRC denies report
But reacting to the report, Okhiria, in a statement on Saturday, insisted that there was no stealing attempt.
The Managing Director said the coaches intercepted by the police were officially being moved to the NRC running shed in Jos as part of the Rail Mass Transit efforts in the country.
“The attention of the Nigerian Railway Corporation 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 an attempt was made to steal NRC coaches from Maiduguri.
“NRC management wishes to clarify this erroneous reportage by stating that the said coaches are officially being moved to the NRC running shed in Jos, Plateau to be overhauled and put back into operation,” he said.
NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA
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