Police officers turn down N100m bribe, disrupt railway vandalism network
By Wellington Jopelo
A major attempt to compromise a police investigation into railway vandalism has been uncovered after operatives of the Nigeria Police Force rejected a N100m bribe and seized stolen infrastructure valued at over N400m.
The operation was carried out by the Force Intelligence Department Special Tactical Squad following actionable intelligence that led officers to a suspected consignment route in Akwanga, Nasarawa State, on April 9, 2026.
Two suspects, 32-year-old Chisom Goodnews and 22-year-old Ahmed Adamu, were arrested after a trailer truck was intercepted while transporting vandalised railway tracks and sleepers.
The stolen materials were reportedly concealed under sacks of groundnut shells in an attempt to disguise the load and avoid suspicion during movement across states.
Investigators said the consignment, estimated at about 60 tonnes, was being moved from Bauchi State to Ilorin, Kwara State, as part of an organised illegal distribution chain targeting railway infrastructure.
Further findings suggested that the truck driver had been contracted for N2.5m to convey the stolen items, pointing to a coordinated network involving multiple actors within the supply route.
Police sources indicated that the concealment strategy was deliberately designed to blend the heavy metal cargo with agricultural produce commonly transported along similar routes.
During interrogation, operatives were allegedly offered a N100m inducement to compromise the case, release the suspects, and free the recovered exhibits, but the offer was firmly rejected.
Authorities described the incident as part of a broader pattern of infrastructure vandalism affecting critical national assets, with railway lines repeatedly targeted by criminal groups.
The recovered trailer and its contents have been secured as evidence, while investigators continue efforts to trace additional members of the syndicate and dismantle the wider network involved in the illegal trade.