The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has attributed the suspension of operations on some of its rail lines to insecurity, banditry, and vandalism of its rail tracks. According to reports on the condition of the nation's railway infrastructure, John Otivere, an NRC official in Minna, revealed this. Mr. Otivere spoke on behalf of NRC, Minna's district rail superintendent, Blessing Okanezi. Mr. Otivere clarified that the company had been compelled to suspend operations on certain routes due to the problems of vandalism and insecurity.
He explained that security issues have hampered operations rather than the low-gauge rail lines being abandoned. He declared, "Our lines are not abandoned; our train starts in Lagos and travels to Kano and back to Lagos."
According to the NRC official, Gwada, Sarkin-Pawa to Kuchi in Niger, and Gaddani towards Gwadada in Kaduna state were the areas most impacted by insecurity. He stated that due to banditry, the rail station in Gaddani, a hamlet that borders Kaduna and Niger, has been closed for a while.
Adding that its last activities were in December 2022, he said Wushishi, Pakara, and Akere also faced the same difficulties. Femi Adewakun, the district internal auditor for the NRC in Niger, also spoke, stating that the district maintained its rail lines and locomotive engines regularly.
Speaking on behalf of Suleiman Obafun, the railway district manager (RDM) of Niger, Mr. Adewakun emphasized the value of the nation's rail system and the necessity of giving the services top priority. "We operate narrow gauge here, and we always have to perform daily inspections of our rail lines and maintenance on all of our locomotive engines," he stated.
Akin Atanda, the district civil engineer for the NRC in Niger, also emphasized how banditry and vandalism affect railway operations. He claimed that some areas had been totally overrun by bandits, making it impossible to safely run trains or do maintenance.
According to Atanda, in some places, including the Beji axis, vandals have been destroying track fastenings. He further stated that "some of the vandals are in prison, while others were arrested and taken to court."
He also brought up the problem of rail line washout, specifically in Mokwa, where some entire tracks have been lost due to erosion. According to Mr. Atanda, the combination of these difficulties has had an impact on local train operations. He emphasized the significance of railway safety and the necessity of resolving the issues impeding operations.