The police command in Katsina has arrested four suspects for alleged vandalism and recovered 70 stolen railway sleepers they concealed in a vehicle.

Spokesperson for the command, Abubakar Sadiq, said in a statement on Sunday that operatives, during a stop-and-search operation along the Kurfi-Tsanni village Road at about 12:30 a.m. on October 11, 2026, nabbed the suspects after intercepting their white J5 vehicle.

Mr Sadiq stated, “The vehicle, with registration number BAU 821 ZY, was driven by a 25-year-old man, Anas Abdullahi, alongside three other occupants identified as Nasir Nuhu, Salisu Yusuf and Nuru Bala. Upon proper search, the vehicle was found conveying 70 pieces of railway sleepers, which were concealed behind 17 bags of animal feed.”

Mr Sadiq explained that investigations revealed that one of the suspects, Nasir Nuhu, confessed he received the items from a suspect, Anas Mohammed of Bauchi, who is currently at large, adding that the stolen items were allegedly being delivered to one Umar Bashir in Katsina.

“The suspects remain in police custody. The operational vehicle, the 70 railway sleepers, and the 17 bags of animal feed used as a cover have all been recovered and secured as exhibits,” he stated.

He assured that efforts are ongoing to nab the fleeing suspects and establish the origin of the vandalised railway tracks, adding that the police commissioner, Ali Fage, is committed to protecting critical national infrastructure and combating vandalism.