The Lagos State Security Trust Fund 
(LSSTF) has expanded its security intervention to Nigeria’s railway sector with the donation of two operational patrol vehicles 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.
The development underscores the Fund’s growing focus on securing critical transportation infrastructure across Lagos, particularly as rail transportation continues to play an increasingly important role in the movement of passengers and goods.
The Nigerian railway system, whose modern history dates back to the construction of the 193-kilometre Lagos-Ibadan line between 1898 and 1901, remains a critical component of the nation’s transportation infrastructure. With increasing passenger traffic and expanding rail operations, protecting railway stations, tracks, bridges, rolling stock, communication systems and other assets has become an important security priority.
For the LSSTF, the latest intervention represents a deliberate effort to strengthen collaboration among security agencies and transportation stakeholders in protecting the railway corridor from criminal activities, vandalism and other emerging threats.
Speaking during the visit, Ogunsan said his relationship with Opeifa dates back to the latter’s years 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.
He explained that the LSSTF had deliberately adopted a multimodal approach to security, extending its interventions across road transportation, waterways, aviation and now rail.
“We’ve eyes in air transport, waterways, and here we are talking about land and then we talk about rail,” he said.
According to him, the objective is to ensure that residents who use the state’s railway system can travel with confidence.
“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 declared.
Ogunsan charged the beneficiaries of the two vehicles to deploy them strictly for patrol and operational duties, stressing that the assets were provided to improve security coverage around railway facilities.
“Please, take ownership of these assets. These assets are very expensive,” he said.
“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.”
He disclosed that the LSSTF operates a monitoring mechanism to track the utilisation of vehicles and other equipment donated to security agencies across Lagos.
“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.
The LSSTF chief also called for greater support from individuals, businesses and corporate organisations, noting that the Fund relies significantly on voluntary contributions to provide security equipment and other interventions.
“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,” Ogunsan said.
Opeifa Commends LSSTF, Sanwo-Olu
Responding, NRC Managing Director, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, expressed appreciation to the LSSTF for its continued support, noting that the latest donation was part of an ongoing partnership.
“They have done this kind of donation before. This is about the second or third time, and they have been doing it consistently,” Opeifa said.
He also commended Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, for supporting the railway community through interventions in infrastructure, roads, street lighting and drainage.
Opeifa disclosed that the governor had facilitated a major storm-water drainage project around the railway compound, which he said had helped tackle persistent flooding challenges.
He urged other state governments hosting railway facilities and communities to establish similar partnerships with the NRC to strengthen security and improve infrastructure around railway corridors.
“We want you, the government, to also support us,” he said, citing commitments by the governors of Abia and Enugu to support railway communities and security infrastructure in their respective states.
Opeifa also encouraged individuals and corporate organisations to support the LSSTF, stressing that such contributions have a direct impact on the operational capacity of security personnel.
Railway Security Agencies Welcome Intervention
The representative of the Commandant, Railway Police Command, DCP Yahaya Mana, DC Operations, Nigeria Police Railway Command, commended the LSSTF and NRC management for the intervention.
“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.
Similarly, the representative of the NSCDC Nigeria Railway Command, ACC Ademola Adetola, described the donation as the beginning of a new phase in railway safety.
“This is the start of a new era of safety. I thank you for the special place you have given us,” he said.
He noted that the vehicles would enhance the command’s operational effectiveness and improve its ability to respond to security challenges across railway facilities.
Ogunsan Experiences Road-Rail Vehicle
A major highlight of the visit was a special ride in a Mercedes-Benz vehicle capable of operating on both conventional roads and railway tracks.
The vehicle, fitted with conventional road tyres and metallic railway wheels, offered Ogunsan a firsthand experience of an unusual form of railway mobility.
Clearly impressed by the experience, the LSSTF CEO described it as an encounter unlike anything he had experienced before.
“What I’ve never experienced before in my life, I experienced this here,” he said.
“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 the DPO of Denton Police Division, CSP Solomon Komolafe; representatives of railway labour unions; and heritage stakeholders, including National Union of Railway Workers representatives and the President of Legacy 1995, Mr. Tayo Olaniyi, who manages the Railway Museum at the historic Jaekel House.
Olaniyi commended the initiative, stressing that effective security was also essential to preserving Nigeria’s railway heritage.
“Security is very important. It cannot be left with only the politicians and police,” he said, urging railway communities and other stakeholders to work closely with security agencies.
The LSSTF intervention therefore goes beyond the presentation of two patrol vehicles. It reflects a broader strategy to place security at the heart of Lagos’ evolving transportation architecture.
As rail transportation continues to expand, the Fund’s message from Ebute-Metta is clear: the security of Lagos must extend beyond the roads and waterways to the railway corridors, ensuring that passengers, personnel and critical infrastructure can operate in a safe and secure environment.