President Bola Tinubu has expressed sympathy to passengers affected by the Abuja–Kaduna train derailment that happened on Tuesday morning. The train left Abuja around 11 am and went off track along the Kaduna corridor.
In a statement shared on his official X account, Tinubu said he was waiting for a full briefing to ensure quick action and proper support for the victims. He also promised that measures would be put in place to avoid such accidents in the future.
“Even while in Brazil, I have received reports of today’s (Tuesday’s) Abuja–Kaduna train derailment. I am deeply saddened by this incident. My heartfelt prayers are with the injured, their families, and all passengers who went through this distressing experience.
“I am staying updated on the latest developments and await a full briefing to ensure swift action and support for all affected. The NRC is already addressing the situation, and necessary steps are expected to be taken to prevent similar occurrences in the future,” Tinubu said.
NRC MD Accepts Blame for Train Derailment
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Kayode Opeifa, said on Wednesday that he takes full responsibility for the accident. Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, he assured Nigerians that the matter would not be covered up.
“Let me say, 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 said.
He added that four passengers sustained serious injuries, while two others had already been discharged from the hospital.
“And for those who were injured, four are serious, and another two or so were discharged immediately, and we will follow up on those that might still be in the hospital.
“I don’t know as of this moment, we’ll follow up. So we’ll also follow up with the remaining 618 people on the train because of the post-traumatic experience. We have the full contacts and we’ll do that,” he explained.
Train Services Suspended for Investigation
Following the derailment, the NRC suspended train operations on the Abuja-Kaduna route until further notice. Opeifa confirmed that NRC technical staff, along with officials from the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) and other agencies, were already investigating the cause of the accident.
