We Nabbed Six Over Theft Of 3 NRC Coaches-Borno Police

The Borno state police command said on Saturday that has apprehended six suspects while attempting to steal three coaches belonging to the Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC.

The Command made the disclosure in a statement it issued while addressing newsmen at the command headquarters, Maiduguri, the state capital.

According to the statement, the suspects were part of a team who were caught evacuating three NRC coaches, following a tip off by concerned individuals.

It added that upon receiving the distress call, its operatives, led by the DPO, swooped on the scene and apprehended six of the suspects, led by one Aliu Mainasara. 

 The statement added that the said Mainasara revealed, upon interrogation, that he was NRC's North East district director, Maiduguri, instructed by the corporation's Managing Director, MD, to evacuate the coaches to Jos, the Plateau state capital where they will be handed over to the state government as part of its intra-city rail project within the Jos metropolis. 

The statement noted further that Mainasara was however, not able to provide sufficient proof, including an identity card, to back his claims. 

“There was a distress call received from railways quarters that loader trailers were cited at railway terminus, Maiduguri, evacuating and loading properties belonging to the Nigerian Railway Corporation. The propertyies include three coaches

"On the receipt of that information, the divisional police officer, ITE , mobolized his men to behind railway quarters and there and then, one Aliu Mainasara, was arrested.

“The said Aliu Mainasara, claimed that he is the director, north east district, headquartered in Bauchi, that he had been assigned by the MD of the NRC to ccome and evacuate the coaches to plateau state where according to him, from his claims that the railway corporation wanted to hand them over to Plateau state government to initiate intra railway transport within Jos metropolis.B

"But the suspect had no identity to certify his claims that he is actually the district manager of north east district, Bauchi,” the statement read.

But in counter statement Saturday evening, the NRC said the suspects are NRC Employees on official assignment and that the coaches were indeed being moved to Jos the Plateau state capital.

However, against the claim that they were to be handed over to the state government as part of its intra-city rail project, the corporation noted that they are headed to the NRC 'Running Shed' in Jos to be overhauled and put back into operation.

“The attention of the Nigerian Railway Corporation has been drawn to a news trending on numerous social media platforms purported to have emanated from Nigerian Television Authority, in which it was reported that 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 NRC Running Shed Jos, Plateau State to be overhauled and putting them back into operation.

“NRC is trying to extend Rail Mass Transit all over the country," the statement signed by the Managing Director, NRC, Fidel Okhira, read