Confusion is brewing between the Nigeria Police and The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on the one hand and the management of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) on the other over the alleged theft of three train coaches at the Maidugiri terminal of the NRC.
The NSCDC had on Friday arrested six persons on the allegation that they stole the coaches at the NRC Maidugiri terminal and attempted to transport the “stolen” goods to Jos, Plateau State.
Confirming the position of the NSCDC, the Borno State Commissioner of Police, Yusufu Mohammed, confirmed that the six persons arrested had confessed to stealing the coaches and were indeed transporting the coaches to Jos when they were intercepted and subsequently arrested.
However, in a swift reaction, the Managing Director of the NRC, Fidel Okhira in a statement on Saturday denied that the coaches were stolen. Okhira clarified that the coaches were duly approved to be transported to Jos for maintenance.
The statement reads: “NRC management wishes to clarify this erroneous reportage by stating that the said coaches are officially being moved to NRC Running Shed Jos, Plateau State to be overhauled and putting them back to operation
“NRC is trying to extend Rail Mass Transit all over the country.”
The NSCDC has not issued any statement on the status or confession of the six persons in their custody.