Need for new legislation to check theft of rail materials
Sir: The wanton destruction and theft of Nigeria’s Railway infrastructure and other critical public assets represent one of the gravest threats to national development and security. Across the nation—from the
- By Onyedikachi Stanley Onovo
Sir: The wanton destruction and theft of Nigeria’s Railway infrastructure and other critical public assets represent one of the gravest threats to national development and security. Across the nation—from the Warri-Itakpe line to Abuja-Kaduna, the Eastern and Western Districts, Lagos-Ibadan, and throughout the northern network—vandals systematically dismantle tracks, steal armoured cables, and pillage essential equipment. This crisis demands an immediate and robust legislative response.
The vandalism is perpetrated by a network of individuals, from local miscreants (“iron condemn”) to organised merchants who purchase and export stolen materials. Security reports and countless arrests underscore the scale of the problem:
In December 2023, a private security firm arrested 13 suspects for vandalising Abuja Mass Transit Rail assets. The suspects were said to be casual workers engaged by a Chinese company working on the railways, but said to have used the opportunity to steal the materials.
On June 2024, The Cable reported that the Nigerian Army arrested 47 suspected rail track vandals in Kaduna State. In October 2025, police arrested a suspect vandalising railway electrical installations also in Kaduna State.
Radio Nigeria in December 2025 announced the arrest of three persons in Kwara State for vandalizing and stealing Railway clips and nuts in Offa. In May 2021, TVC reported some individuals, including one Ejike Okeke were apprehended in Enugu with stolen sleepers and tracks.
On January 30, the Nigerian Television Authority reported that the NSCDC, Bauchi State Command arrested five suspects and intercepted a truck carrying vandalized railway tracks.
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This relentless assault has plagued successive management of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), defying conventional counter-strategies.
A pivotal shift began under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with the appointment of Kayode Opeifa as Managing Director/CEO of the NRC. Opeifa introduced a fundamental paradigm shift by re-designating what was carelessly termed “scrap” as “unserviceable critical national assets.”
This reframing has driven a transformative partnership with experts to manage these assets responsibly. The era of controversial public auctions—which often saw valuable national iron assets disappear, depriving Nigeria of materials for repurposing and industrialisation—is now over. Today, a systematic process ensures these materials are reused or responsibly processed, with revenue reinvested into the corporation. This home-grown solution is a commendable breakthrough that proves Nigerians can effectively solve national challenges.
While the NRC’s internal reforms are laudable, they alone cannot stem the tide. The root enabler of this vandalism is the thriving, unregulated market for stolen metal. To kill the vandal’s incentive, we must eradicate the demand.
Therefore, there is an urgent need for the National Assembly to enact legislation that: Prohibits the buying and selling of any railway materials (serviceable or unserviceable) on the open market.
Secondly, there is need for a law to impose severe penalties on buyers and merchants of vandalised public assets, effectively targeting the economic drivers of this crime, and thirdly, to mandate stringent federal regulation of all scrap metal dealers nationwide.
The opaque operations of scrap dealers are a major concern. Their compounds are often shrouded, hiding the provenance of their materials. This unregulated space fuels not only railway vandalism but also community theft—from iron crossing bars in homes to street lamp holders. Trailers loaded with questionable materials move freely from cities and expressways to unknown destinations. Without regulating this sector, our fight against vandalism remains superficial.
The partnership and innovation under Opeifa’s leadership at the NRC demonstrate what is possible with commitment and vision. However, to secure our railways, power installations, and other critical assets, we must complement this institutional resolve with strong, deterrence-based law.
Legislation that dismantles the market for stolen public property is not an option; it is a national imperative for Nigeria’s security and industrial future.
•Onyedikachi Stanley Onovo, Ph.D
onyedikachionovo1@gmail.com
