NRC debunks reports of theft of railway coaches in Borno

The Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) has debunked viral reports of attempts to steal railway coaches in Maiduguri, Borno State.

The Managing Director of the Corporation, Fidet Okhiria, who refuted the reports in a statement on Saturday in Lagos, stated categorically that the reports were baseless, while assuring that the railway coaches were secure as the people moving them were doing so in official capacity.

Okhiria said the coaches were being moved by officials of the NRC to the Corporation’s Running Shed in Jos, Plateau State, to be overhauled and put back into operation for a proposed Rail Mass Transit across the country.

The clarification became necessary after a viral report earlier on Saturday claimed that unknown persons had attempted to steal coaches from the Maiduguri railway station.

READ ALSO:NRC increases trips on Abuja-Kaduna train route

The story which trended on social media had said:

“A suspected theft of train coaches of the Nigerian Railway Corporation was foiled at the Maiduguri Railway Terminus following a tip-off by good samaritans. The suspects were also apprehended by the police.”

However, Okhiria, while debunking the report said:

“The attention of the Nigeria Railway Corporation has been drawn to a news trending on numerous social media platforms purported to have emanated from Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), in which it was reported that attempt was made to steal NRC coaches from Maiduguri.

“NRC management wishes to clarify this erroneous reportage by stating that the said coaches are officially being moved to NRC Running Shed in Jos, Plateau State, to be overhauled and putting them back to operation.

“NRC is trying to extend Rail Mass Transit nationwide,” he said.

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