Security operations around Lagos’ railway network have received a boost following the donation of two operational patrol vehicles by the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) to the Nigeria Police Railway Command and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Railway Command.
The intervention was announced during a courtesy visit by the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the LSSTF, Dr. Ayodele Ogunsan, to the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Dr. Kayode Opeifa, at the corporation’s headquarters in Ebute-Metta, Lagos.
One vehicle was presented to the Railway Police Command and another to the NSCDC Railway Command to strengthen patrols, improve operational mobility and enhance security around railway facilities and corridors.
The initiative forms part of the LSSTF’s broader strategy of supporting security agencies across Lagos’ major transportation networks, including roads, waterways, aviation and rail.
Speaking during the visit, Ogunsan said the growing importance of railway transportation made security around the rail network a priority for the Fund.
He noted that his relationship with Opeifa dates back to the NRC managing director’s time in the Lagos State Government, where he handled key transportation responsibilities.
“When this idea came that we must secure our railway, immediately I connected with him, because the bond between security and transportation is very key,” Ogunsan said.
According to him, the LSSTF has deliberately expanded its security interventions across different transportation modes to ensure that Lagos residents can travel safely regardless of the means of transportation they use.
“We’ve eyes in air transport, waterways, and here we are talking about land and then we talk about rail,” he said.
Ogunsan said the Fund would pay greater attention to railway security and ensure that passengers using railway stations across Lagos feel safe.
“Now we are telling Lagosians, especially the users of our rail, that Lagos State Security Trust Fund is also putting searchlight on the railway.
We want to make sure that everybody who uses all our railway stations believes that the place, that space, is also very safe. And we are going to pay more attention to it,” he said.
He urged the Police and NSCDC to ensure that the donated vehicles are used strictly for patrol and other approved operational duties.
“Please, take ownership of these assets. These assets are very expensive. This vehicle is not an official vehicle. It is meant for patrol. And if you use it for that reason, then we’ll be encouraged to do more,” Ogunsan said.
The LSSTF CEO disclosed that the Fund operates a monitoring mechanism to track the deployment and use of vehicles and other equipment provided to security agencies.
“When we came into office, we came up with the Lagos State Security Trust Fund Monitoring Unit. That monitoring department goes all around to tell us the usage of our vehicles. The moment they give us a positive response or report, we add more to your assets,” he explained.
Ogunsan also called for increased support for the LSSTF from individuals, businesses and corporate organisations, explaining that the Fund relies significantly on voluntary contributions to support security operations across Lagos.
“Everything we do at the Lagos State Security Trust Fund is through your voluntary donation as individual, as entrepreneur, private sector, and sometimes the government of the State,” he said.
Responding, NRC Managing Director, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, expressed appreciation to the LSSTF for its continued support of railway security.
Opeifa noted that the latest donation was part of a sustained relationship between the NRC and the Fund.
“They have done this kind of donation before. This is about the second or third time, and they have been doing it consistently,” he said.
The NRC managing director also commended Lagos State Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, for supporting the railway community through interventions in infrastructure, roads, street lighting and drainage.
He disclosed that the state government had facilitated a major storm-water drainage project around the railway compound, helping to address flooding challenges in the area.
Opeifa urged other state governments hosting railway facilities to establish similar partnerships with the NRC to improve security and infrastructure around railway communities.
He cited commitments from the governors of Abia and Enugu states to support railway communities and security systems in their respective states.
According to him, the railway network extends beyond transportation, serving communities across the country and requiring the collective support of governments, businesses and residents.
Representatives of the security agencies also welcomed the intervention.
The Railway Police Command, represented by DCP Yahaya Mana, DC Operations, thanked the LSSTF and NRC management for the donation, describing it as an important addition to the command’s operational capacity.
“I want to say thank you to the Lagos State Security Trust Fund and the NRC MD. If not for him, we wouldn’t have seen something of such. But we appreciate him for doing this, and I believe this is just the beginning of it. More and more are coming through our MD,” he said.
The NSCDC Railway Command, represented by ACC Ademola Adetola, described the intervention as the beginning of a new phase in railway security.
“This is the start of a new era of safety. I thank you for the special place you have given us,” he said, adding that the vehicle would improve the command’s operational effectiveness.
During the visit, Ogunsan also experienced a special ride in a Mercedes-Benz vehicle designed to operate on both conventional roads and railway tracks.
The vehicle, fitted with both road tyres and metallic railway wheels, provided the LSSTF CEO with a firsthand experience of the railway’s specialised mobility system.
Describing the experience as remarkable, Ogunsan said: “What I’ve never experienced before in my life, I experienced this here. I didn’t come here by road. I came here by rail. But there’s something about that trip that I’m still trying to fathom.”
The visit also brought together representatives of the Denton Police Division, railway workers, heritage stakeholders and members of the National Union of Railway Workers.
President of Legacy 1995 and manager of the Railway Museum at the historic Jaekel House, Mr. Tayo Olaniyi, commended the security initiative and stressed the importance of protecting Nigeria’s railway heritage.
He warned that vandalism poses a threat not only to railway infrastructure but also to the preservation of the country’s historical heritage.
“Security is very important. It cannot be left with only the politicians and police,” Olaniyi said, calling for stronger cooperation between railway communities, security agencies and other stakeholders.
The LSSTF’s intervention underscores the growing importance of security in Lagos’ multimodal transportation system. As rail services expand and more residents rely on trains for daily movement, protecting passengers, railway personnel, stations and infrastructure remains essential to ensuring the long-term success of the system.
The initiative reinforces the message that transportation security must extend across every mode of movement in Lagos — from roads and waterways to aviation and the railway network.
