The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Kayode Opeifa, has taken full responsibility for the derailment of a train on the Abuja-Kaduna corridor that occurred on Tuesday.
Speaking during an interview on The Morning Brief, a Channels Television programme, Opeifa apologised to Nigerians and said that as the head of the agency, he must accept full responsibility for the incident.
“Let me say, beyond apologising to Nigeria, I want to say as the Managing Director and Chief Executive, I take full responsibility,” Opeifa stated. “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.”
The derailment happened shortly after the train departed from Abuja at about 11 a.m. en route to Kaduna. The incident raised new concerns over the safety and maintenance of Nigeria’s railway system, particularly along the popular Abuja-Kaduna route, which has witnessed previous attacks and disruptions.
Although no casualties were reported in Tuesday’s derailment, passengers were stranded for hours, and train services along the corridor were temporarily suspended.
Opeifa said the NRC has launched a full investigation into the cause of the derailment and assured the public that the findings would not be hidden or ignored.
“I want to assure Nigerians that an incident like this is not expected, is not prayed for, should not be happening, but where it does, it is to bring out the best in us,” he said.
He also revealed that the corporation had recently taken similar preventive steps on the Warri-Itakpe railway line, which was shut down three weeks ago for safety checks and repairs.
“I ordered the shutdown for safety reasons, and if you see the level of work the men have been doing on the track — cutting it off and replacing it — it is to make sure things like this don’t happen,” he added.
The NRC has faced increasing scrutiny over safety standards and infrastructure maintenance, especially following the March 2022 terrorist attack on a Kaduna-bound train that left several people dead and many others kidnapped.
The Abuja-Kaduna rail line is one of Nigeria’s busiest railway routes, serving thousands of passengers daily who prefer it over the dangerous Kaduna-Abuja highway.
Following the derailment, commuters and civil society groups have called for greater investment in railway infrastructure, regular maintenance, and improved security measures to protect lives and property.
While the NRC has not released a detailed cause of the derailment, industry experts say worn-out tracks, lack of modern monitoring systems, and poor maintenance may have played a role.
Opeifa promised that the corporation would learn from the incident and take urgent steps to improve the safety of all train routes.
“We are committed to ensuring that this does not happen again. Nigerians deserve better, and we must not fail them,” he concluded.
