The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has sealed two Chinese-linked companies following allegations of involvement in a nationwide railway infrastructure theft and recycling network.
The affected firms, Inner Galaxy Steel Company and Jiuxing Integrity Industrial Ltd, were shut down after investigators reportedly uncovered what authorities described as a coordinated system for vandalising and processing stolen railway materials.
According to the NSCDC spokesperson, Afolabi Babawale, the operation was backed by a court order authorising the sealing of all branches, subsidiaries, and operational facilities of the companies across the country. The move followed months of surveillance and the arrest of suspects linked to the alleged network.
Operatives of the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad reportedly recovered large quantities of railway sleepers and tracks during a raid on a facility in Kaduna State. The recovered materials have since been handed over to the Nigerian Railway Corporation for use as evidence in prosecution.
Babawale stated that preliminary investigations indicated that stolen railway components were allegedly transported from different parts of the country to the companies’ facilities, where they were melted and converted into commercial steel products such as nails and roofing sheets.
He further noted that several suspects are facing charges including conspiracy, theft, destruction of critical infrastructure, concealment of stolen property, and alleged links to financing criminal activities. Chinese nationals connected to the companies’ management have also been summoned for questioning but are yet to appear before investigators.
The Commandant General of the NSCDC, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, ordered strict professionalism in handling the investigation and vowed that anyone found culpable would face prosecution under the law.
The corps described the operation as part of intensified efforts to curb economic sabotage and protect Nigeria’s critical infrastructure, particularly the railway network.
