In a recent interview, Opeifa, the CEO of Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), assured the public that a thorough investigation is underway to determine the cause of the train accident and that no effort will be spared to find the truth.
He emphasized, “Beyond apologising to Nigeria, I want to say as the managing director and chief executive, I take full responsibility. And in the case of safety, there is no indifference. Once it happens, the chief executive must take responsibility. In this case, I am taking responsibility.”
Opeifa revealed that while four passengers suffered serious injuries, thankfully, no lives were lost. He said, “There was no fatality. We thank God. It was a near miss because, in accidents like this, you usually see some deaths, but we are grateful. Four people are seriously hurt, two others went directly to the hospital and have been discharged. We’ll continue to monitor those still receiving care.”
He also committed to supporting all 618 passengers affected by the incident. “We have their contacts, and we will keep in touch to assist them through this difficult time,” he stated.
Although the incident was tragic, Opeifa reaffirmed NRC’s dedication to making sure it doesn’t happen again. He pointed out recent safety measures, including shutting down the Warri-Itakpe route for repairs, to improve safety standards.
When asked about the possibility of sabotage, Opeifa said, “It’s too early to say. That would interfere with the investigation. But I want to assure everyone that our tracks are safe from vandals and terrorists. The military is monitoring the area closely, and helicopters arrived shortly after the derailment. We’ve not seen any threat of terrorism or banditry along that route.”
He added that the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) will determine when the track is ready for train operations to resume, which he estimates will be within 30 days once the area is cleared and repaired.
The incident occurred on Tuesday morning after the train left Abuja for Kaduna. A passenger described scenes of chaos, with many passengers rushing for safety.
In response to the accident, train services on the route have been temporarily halted until further notice. Opeifa reassured that investigations are ongoing to find out what caused the derailment and dismissed rumors claiming the trains were in poor condition. He also announced that ticket refunds are already being processed for all affected travelers.
Previously, in January 2023, a similar derailment occurred near Kubwa, but no injuries were reported.
