Three suspected armed vandals who were simply identified as Kelechi Ononiwu, 36, Kalu Egbe, 30, Stanley, 27. have been nabbed by the police for vandalizing Ameka/Mbom rail track in Umuahia, Abia State.
The suspects were arrested by Police operatives attached to the Railway Command.
They were apprehended while removing rail sleepers and loading them into a black Toyota Hiace bus.
Upon sighting the police officers, they opened fire but were overpowered. Three of them were arrested. One of them was said to have sustained gunshot injury and is being treated at Federal Medical Center Umuahia.
The Commissioner of Police, Railway, Mrs. Yetunde Longe, while confirming the incident, said the command has launched a search for the fleeing suspects.
Longe also dismissed claim of a train getting halted by unknown persons around Abeokuta on Lagos-Ibadan corridor on February 12, causing panic among passengers. She described the news as fake, insisting that the railways were safe for travellers.
The Commissioner for Police said;
“In order to avoid possible derailment or accident that could lead to casualties, he had to stop and reposition the track before proceeding on the said trip.”
