The Minister of Transportation, Saidu Ahmed Alkali, and the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Mr Kayode Opeifa, have ruled out the possibility of sabotage in last week’s Abuja-Kaduna train accident, which left over a dozen of persons injured.
Last Tuesday train derailment is coming three years after the rail line was attacked in March 2022 by armed bandits in Katari, Kaduna State.
The 2022 attack witnessed the bombing the train, the kidnapping of 62 passengers, with multiple deaths and injuries.
Briefing State House Correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, both the Transportation Minister and the Director General of the NRC assured Nigerians of the safety of rail services in the country.
NewsQuest gathered data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) which reveals that Nigeria has recorded 188 train derailments between 2020 and 2025.
Between 2020 and 2022 alone, 183 derailments occurred, 57 in 2020, 61 in 2021, and 65 in 2022, making derailment the most common railway accident in recent years.
Our correspondent also learnt that the major causes of these derailments have been as a result of poor maintenance of rail facilities, vandalism, weak security controls, and ageing infrastructure.
“We have fixed the “point machine” from here up to Kaduna, and since then, there has been no issue of derailment. For this incident, investigations are ongoing, and we don’t want to preempt the committee until it submits its report,” the Transportation Minister told Reporters.
A point machine, also called a switch motor, remotely operates railway turnouts by moving the blades that guide trains from one track to another and locking them securely in place. Modern systems are equipped with sensors that confirm blade positions to ensure safe operations.
According to Minister Alkali, vandalism of railway assets remains a challenge despite several arrests and prosecutions.
Speaking on clearance efforts, Minister Alkali disclosed that four of the ten capsized coaches during the Abuja -Kaduna incident last week had been removed with the aid of specialised rail cranes.
He said the government was working with the Office of the National Security Adviser on a comprehensive protection plan, while procurement processes were underway to link Warri-Ajaokuta-Abuja by rail.
Meanwhile, NRC boss, Opeifa, has tendered an unreserved apology to journalists, particularly to the NTA reporter who was denied access at the accident scene.
The NRC Director General’s apology followed a protest letter from the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), which condemned the harassment of its immediate past national chairperson, Comrade Ladi Bala.
“If any journalist or medium felt excluded or not well treated at the accident scene, I take full responsibility and I sincerely apologise. We are committed to transparency and will continue to provide the press with access and information as events unfold,” Opeifa said.
He added that “Nationwide, rail tracks are constantly targeted by vandals and scrap syndicates. But with specific reference to this incident, the track showed no signs of sabotage or structural failure. Our initial findings indicate it was an operational accident at a junction point,” he explained.
Opeifa confirmed that all 618 passengers were safely evacuated. Twenty sustained minor injuries, while seven were hospitalised and have since been discharged, with the NRC footing all medical bills.
He commended first responders, security agencies, and community members for their swift action, stressing that remedial work on the damaged track was ongoing and that train services would resume shortly.
