NRC boss takes blame for Abuja-Kaduna train derailment

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Kayode Opeifa, has assumed full responsibility for Tuesday’s derailment of the Abuja-Kaduna train service along the Kaduna corridor.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, Opeifa tendered an apology to Nigerians and assured that the incident would be thoroughly investigated.

“As the managing director and chief executive, I take full responsibility. In matters of safety, there can be no indifference. Once it happens, the chief executive must take responsibility, and I am doing so,” he said.

Opeifa confirmed that no fatalities were recorded but disclosed that four passengers sustained serious injuries, while two others were treated and discharged. He added that the NRC was monitoring the condition of the injured as well as the post-traumatic impact on the over 600 passengers on board.

Describing the derailment as a “near miss,” the NRC boss stressed that such incidents were unacceptable and pledged that measures would be taken to prevent a recurrence. He cited the recent shutdown of the Warri-Itakpe route for maintenance as evidence of the corporation’s commitment to safety.

On possible sabotage, Opeifa declined to speculate, noting that doing so would preempt ongoing investigations by the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB). He, however, assured Nigerians that the corridor remained under strict security surveillance by the military and other agencies.

“The investigation will tell us what happened, and I wouldn’t want to comment further because I am a party to that process,” he said.

According to him, reconstruction work on the affected track will only begin after the NSIB declares the site open. He estimated that repairs would take no longer than 30 days once clearance is granted.

The derailment occurred shortly after the train departed Abuja around 11 a.m. en route to Kaduna, throwing passengers into panic. Train operations on the route have since been suspended pending investigation.

This latest incident recalls a similar derailment in January 2023 near Kubwa, Abuja, in which no casualties were recorded.