By Kenneth Onuoha
365Daily – The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has arrested two of its dismissed officers and two other suspects for vandalising and stealing truck-loads of railway tracks and accessories belonging to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) in Enugu.
The Commander, 553 Base Services Group, NAF, Enugu, Air Commodore Isaiah Taiwo, handed over the suspects and recovered items to the Enugu State Police Command on Monday, May 24, 2021, at NAF Base, Enugu.
Taiwo said that items recovered included a truck-load of railway track lanes and accessories; one pump action gun; two live bullets and a Scania truck conveying vandalised/stolen rail materials with registration number: APP 523 XS.
The Commander said the suspects would be charged for alleged conspiracy and theft of public property.
“On May 21, at about 00:52a.m., two suspects, Mr Paul Obieze of 24 Ajayi Street, Opposite Medical Road, Benin City and Mr Nwankwo Onyedika, a security officer to Utamazi Unit at Mburu-Anusi in Enugu State, were arrested.
“They were arrested around Airport Roundabout in Enugu by NAF personnel on internal security patrol with a truck-load of vandalised rail tracks belonging to the NRC.
“The two suspects were arrested alongside two dismissed NAF personnel who served as their escorts.
“Further interrogation revealed that they were enroute Onitsha, Anambra State to sell off the stolen goods when their truck was intercepted.
“The suspects were subsequently detained at the Air Provost Wing of 553 Base Services Group,’’ he said.
According to Taiwo, NAF as a professional and disciplined force wishes to state clearly that it will continue to work assiduously with other security services to get rid of criminal elements in the society.
Receiving the suspects, the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Mohammad Aliyu, lauded the NAF internal security patrol team, as well as the synergy that existed between the NAF and the Nigeria Police.
Aliyu, represented by the Commander of the Commissioner of Police Monitoring Unit, SP Suleiman Jafaru, assured that due diligence and discreet investigation will be taken on the matter.
“I am assuring you that we will go to the interior and follow this matter painstakingly to track down other fleeing gang members of the suspects arrested already,’’ he said.