The Lagos State Government, through the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), on Friday donated two patrol vehicles to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to strengthen security around railway infrastructure, passengers and operations across the state.
The vehicles were formally presented to the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NRC, Dr Kayode Opeifa, at the Mobolaji Johnson Train Station, Alagomeji, Yaba, Lagos, on Friday.
The vehicles will support the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) commands attached to the railway corporation, particularly in carrying out patrols and responding swiftly to security incidents along railway corridors.
Speaking at the presentation, Opeifa said the intervention would significantly improve the mobility of security personnel and enable them to respond more quickly to crime scenes and emerging security threats.
He said the presence of patrol vehicles would also help prevent criminal activities by increasing security visibility along railway corridors.
According to him, regular patrols would send a strong message to individuals planning to vandalise railway infrastructure or commit other crimes that security personnel could respond at any time.
Opeifa added that the vehicles would boost the morale and confidence of security officers attached to the railway system while strengthening their ability to protect passengers and critical railway assets.
He expressed appreciation to the Lagos State Government and the LSSTF for the intervention, noting that the latest donation builds on previous support provided to the NRC.
The NRC chief executive also disclosed that the corporation was looking forward to receiving more support, noting that security remained critical to the safe and efficient operation of the railway system.
He further acknowledged other security efforts by the Lagos State Government, including interventions through the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), saying the combination of these efforts would provide stronger security coverage around railway infrastructure.
In a gesture of support for the security trust fund, Opeifa also donated N500,000 to the LSSTF to further support its activities.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the LSSTF, Dr Ayodele Ogunsan, said the intervention was part of the fund’s commitment to extending security support to the railway sector.
Ogunsan said the LSSTF had traditionally supported security operations across the air, waterways and land transportation sectors and was now paying greater attention to railway security.
He stressed the importance of securing railway facilities, particularly as more Lagos residents increasingly rely on rail transportation.
In his words, ‘We are telling Lagosians, especially the users of our rail, that the Lagos State Security Trust Fund is also beaming a searchlight on it. We want to make sure that everybody who uses all our railway stations believes that the place is also very safe.’
Ogunsan explained that the LSSTF operates largely through voluntary donations from individuals, private sector organisations, Lagos residents and government interventions, rather than regular subvention from the state government.
He therefore appealed for continued contributions to enable the fund to provide further equipment and support to security agencies.
He disclosed that the two vehicles presented to the NRC were valued at more than N50 million each, stressing that the assets must be properly managed and deployed strictly for security operations.
Ogunsan specifically charged the Nigeria Police Force and NSCDC personnel to take ownership of the vehicles and ensure that they were used for patrols and other authorised security duties.
He warned against converting the patrol vehicles to personal or official administrative vehicles, stressing that such misuse could undermine future support from the security trust fund.
He said the LSSTF has a monitoring unit responsible for tracking the use and condition of vehicles provided to security agencies, adding that agencies that fail to properly manage donated assets could lose access to further interventions.
The LSSTF chief executive also described the partnership with the NRC as a continuing one, promising closer collaboration to identify and respond to security needs within the railway environment.
Representing the Commissioner of Police, Railway Police Command, DCP Yahaya Usman thanked the LSSTF for the vehicles, saying the intervention would improve the command’s ability to conduct timely patrols and respond to incidents along railway corridors.
Similarly, the representative of the NSCDC Commandant, ACC Adedayo Adedeji, appreciated the LSSTF for the donation, noting that the vehicles would enhance patrol operations and contribute to efforts to curb vandalism along railway corridors.
The event culminated in the formal handover of the 2 patrol vehicles to the security agencies attached to the Nigerian Railway Corporation.