Safeguard Security and Protection Company, the private security firm tasked with protecting the Abuja mass transit rail, has effectively captured 13 individuals believed to be engaged in the sabotage of armored cables and other railway equipment.

Among the arrested suspects, ten were casual workers reportedly employed by a Chinese company working on the railways, who allegedly seized the opportunity to steal materials.

The suspects were paraded on Friday in Abuja, with Hon Segun Adekola, the Managing Director and Chief Executive of Safeguard Security and Protection Company, addressing the media alongside officials from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Transport Secretariat.

Adekola stated that the company has apprehended well over 100 suspected vandals over the years, expressing regret that some previously arrested individuals were released on bail and later returned to criminal activities.

Adekola affirmed the company’s commitment to collaborating with relevant stakeholders in the discharge of its duties, emphasizing its dedication to curbing vandalism on the Abuja railway.

The arrested suspects are set to be handed over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for further profiling and prosecution.

James Chukwu, the Director of Operations at Safeguard Security and Protection Company, noted that the company’s operatives have expanded their efforts to include the arrest of buyers of stolen rail components.

“We are the outsourced security company charged with the responsibility of protecting Abuja railway lines. We cover several railway stations and we also cover the railway tracks to avoid the issue of vandalism of materials.

“You can see so many of them behind me—about 13 of them who were involved in the vandalism. We have about 10 vandals while the others are buyers,” he said.

One of the suspects, identified as Obadiah, admitted to working for the Chinese company engaged in mopping up worn-out cables. He acknowledged that during the process, they appropriated some of the cables and other metals for personal gain, selling them to an unnamed company.

Obadiah expressed regret over his arrest, citing inadequate daily wages of just N1,100 from the Chinese company as a contributing factor to his actions.