The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has accused the Chairman of Ibadan South-West Local Government Area, Mr Kehinde Adeyemi Amanda, of leading an alleged coordinated attack on federal railway assets in Ibadan, Oyo State.
In a statement on Tuesday, the corporation said the incident occurred on Monday at the Mile One-Ten axis along the NRC right-of-way, where the council boss reportedly arrived with a group that included suspected thugs, individuals dressed in Nigerian Army uniforms and operatives of the Oyo State Security Network Agency, Amotekun.
NRC spokesperson, Mr Callistus Unyimadu, said the group allegedly vandalised and carted away critical railway infrastructure, including rails, sleepers, signal poles, billboards and perimeter fencing belonging to NRC tenants operating within the corridor.
“According to the report, the destruction was carried out by the Chairman of Ibadan South-West Local Government Council, Hon. Kehinde Adeyemi Amanda, who allegedly led a group comprising thugs, persons dressed in Nigerian Army uniforms and operatives of Amotekun to vandalise NRC properties at the Mile One-Ten axis,” the statement read.
Unyimadu added that the affected corridor is a clearly demarcated and statutorily protected federal railway right-of-way, warning that any encroachment or destruction of assets there constitutes a serious violation of national laws.
The corporation further alleged that efforts by officers of the NRC Police Command to halt the operation were resisted, forcing them to withdraw from the scene.
According to the NRC, the council chairman claimed he was acting on the instructions of Governor Seyi Makinde during the operation.
Reacting to the development, the Chairman of the NRC Board, Mr Kayode Opeifa, appealed to the Oyo State governor to urgently intervene and rein in the local government chairman to avert a breakdown of law and order and prevent further abuse of railway workers’ rights.
“The destruction of federal railway assets under any guise is unacceptable and undermines national infrastructure development,” Opeifa said, stressing that the corporation would not tolerate continued encroachment on its operational corridors.
The NRC described the incident as a grave assault on public property and vowed to pursue appropriate security, administrative and legal actions to protect its assets and deter similar actions across the country.
As of press time, the Oyo State Government and the Ibadan South-West Local Government Council had yet to respond officially to the allegations.
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