Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has sealed all operational facilities belonging to Inner Galaxy Steel Company and Jiuxing Integrity Industrial Ltd nationwide, following a court‑ordered crackdown on what investigators have described as a sophisticated multi‑billion‑naira syndicate involved in the vandalism, concealment and recycling of critical national infrastructure, including railway tracks, NNPC pipelines and water board installations. The sealing, which affects branches in Kaduna, Abia, Zamfara and any other location linked to the ongoing investigation, comes after weeks of intelligence‑led surveillance triggered by a viral video that exposed the large‑scale vandalisation of the newly laid Kaduna‑Kano railway.
According to the NSCDC’s National Public Relations Officer, ACC Babawale Afolabi, the operation began on Tuesday, 12 May 2026, when the Corps’ Special Intelligence Squad (SIS), under the command of Commandant Apollos Dandaura and in collaboration with the Kaduna State Command, raided the Kaduna branch of Inner Galaxy Steel Company located in Birnin Yero, Igabi Local Government Area. The raid followed a directive by the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, who ordered the immediate identification and arrest of those responsible for the railway vandalism seen in the viral video. “Investigations revealed that the company operated a criminal smokescreen, posing as a scrap‑buying entity while actually serving as a hub for receiving vandalised railway materials, NNPC pipes, and Water Board infrastructure,” the NSCDC said in a statement.
Afolabi told journalists at a briefing at the sealed facility that the syndicate operated a local and international network. The company allegedly purchased stolen railway tracks and pipes from vandals, compressed them into scrap metal at the Kaduna facility to conceal their original form, and then transported the compressed materials to the company’s head office in Aba, Abia State. “There, the stolen national assets were melted down and recycled into nails and iron rods to be sold back to the public,” the statement added. The NSCDC alleged that the same criminal pattern was used at the company’s other locations, leading to the nationwide sealing order. Afolabi also disclosed that some Chinese nationals linked to the matter had been invited for questioning but were yet to appear before investigators.
During the raid, a total of 12 suspects were arrested. Seven of them have been identified and are being processed for criminal conspiracy, unlawful possession of vandalised property, receiving stolen property, intentional endangering of railway passengers, and other related offences. The suspects are: Usman Hassan (company manager), Bilyaminu Usman (weighbridge operator), Choji Pam (weighbridge officer), Jamilu Jaafar (scrap collector), Chukwuemeka Udonwoke (supervisor), Chikwodilli Ezema (company manager), and Isaac Etim (scrap leader). Five additional suspects were arrested in a related operation over alleged vandalism along the Kaduna‑Abuja rail corridor in the Gwagwada community, Chikun Local Government Area, where railway tracks, sleepers and gas cylinders used to cut the infrastructure were recovered.
Recovered exhibits from the various operations include large quantities of vandalised railway tracks, railway sleepers (slippers), suspected NNPC pipelines, water board pipes, gas cylinders used in cutting the infrastructure, and specialised machinery allegedly used for compressing and concealing the stolen materials. The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has been invited to identify the recovered railway components, which are valued at billions of naira. “We have gone round and identified some of our materials there. These are national assets,” said Dr Kayode Opeifa, Managing Director of the NRC, who commended the NSCDC for the recovery of what he described as large quantities of railway materials hidden beneath heaps of scrap.
The NSCDC obtained a valid court order and search warrant authorising the sealing of the premises and the transfer of all recovered railway sleepers and tracks to the Nigerian Railway Corporation as exhibits for prosecution. “The facility will remain sealed pending the conclusion of investigations,” Afolabi said. “The court order also covers the sealing of facilities linked to Inner Galaxy Steel Company and Jiuxing Integrity Industrial Ltd in Abia and Zamfara states, as well as any other branches nationwide connected to the investigation.”
In his reaction, the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, commended the SIS and the Kaduna State Command for their gallantry and professionalism. He warned that the Corps would not treat economic sabotage with kid gloves and that it was going after the sponsors of these criminal networks. “Under this leadership, the NSCDC will not treat economic sabotage with kid gloves. We are going after the sponsors,” he said. “This operation marks the beginning of a new phase in our crackdown on syndicates supporting vandalism under any disguise.” He urged members of the public to continue providing credible intelligence to support efforts aimed at curbing vandalism and protecting critical national assets.
The Federal Government has, in recent years, intensified efforts to revive the nation’s railway system through massive investments in projects such as the Abuja-Kaduna and Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail lines. However, cases of vandalism, theft of rail tracks and attacks on railway facilities have continued to undermine these projects and increase maintenance costs. The latest NSCDC operation represents the most sweeping action taken to date against a legal steel manufacturing company alleged to be at the heart of a railway vandalism recycling network. If the allegations are proven in court, the case may lead to fundamental changes in how scrap metal and recycled steel are regulated in Nigeria, and who is held accountable when a nation’s critical infrastructure ends up being sold back to it in the form of roofing sheets and nails.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments