NSCDC busts syndicate recycling stolen railway, NNPC infrastructure in Kaduna
NSCDC Uncovers Criminal Syndicate Involved in National Asset Theft
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has revealed the existence of a complex criminal syndicate allegedly engaged in the theft, concealment, and recycling of vital national assets and infrastructure.
This announcement follows the circulation of a viral video on social media, which displayed severe vandalism of the recently constructed Kaduna-Kano railway tracks and other older rail facilities.
In response to these incidents, NSCDC Commandant General Ahmed Abubakar Audi instructed the Special Intelligence Squad (SIS) and the Kaduna State Command to apprehend those responsible.
On May 12, 2026, the NSCDC conducted a targeted operation after weeks of intelligence gathering. A statement from the corps, issued Wednesday by National Public Relations Officer ACC Afolabi Babawale, detailed that the SIS, led by Commandant Apollos Dandaura and aided by Kaduna State Command, raided and sealed off the Kaduna branch of Inner Galaxy Steel Company, located in Birnin Yero, Igabi Local Government Area.
“The operation followed weeks of intensive, intelligence-led surveillance,” the statement noted. “Investigations revealed that the company operated under the guise of a scrap-buying business while actually functioning as a hub for receiving stolen railway materials, NNPC pipes, and Water Board infrastructure.”
According to the NSCDC, the syndicate acquired stolen railway tracks and pipes from vandals, processed them into scrap metal at the Kaduna facility to obscure their original identity, and subsequently transported the material to the company’s headquarters in Aba, Abia State. There, the stolen assets were reportedly melted down and recycled into nails and iron rods for public sale.
During the raid, 12 individuals identified as key suspects were arrested. Authorities recovered significant quantities of vandalized railway tracks, railway sleepers, and suspected NNPC and Water Board pipes, collectively valued at billions of naira.
Commandant General Audi praised Commandant Dandaura and his team for their professionalism and bravery in executing the operation. He reiterated the corps’ commitment to addressing acts of economic sabotage with seriousness.
