Minister of Transportation, Saidu Alkali, has dismissed claims of sabotage in the recent Abuja-Kaduna train derailment, reaffirming the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening the safety and security of rail operations nationwide.
Addressing State House correspondents in Abuja alongside the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Mr. Kayode Opeifa, Alkali said preliminary investigations pointed to an operational error, not a deliberate act.
“We have fixed the point machine from here up to Kaduna, and since then, there has been no issue of derailment. Investigations are still ongoing, and we don’t want to preempt the committee until it submits its report,” the minister explained.
He clarified that the point machine — a device that shifts rail turnout blades to allow trains change tracks — had been identified as the source of the fault.
While ruling out sabotage in this incident, Alkali admitted that vandalism remained a major challenge to railway safety despite ongoing arrests and prosecutions of culprits.
The minister disclosed that four out of the ten derailed coaches had already been recovered using specialised railway cranes and equipment. He further revealed that procurement processes were underway to extend the rail line from Warri to Ajaokuta and eventually to Abuja.
On his part, NRC Managing Director Opeifa apologised to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) following a reported altercation involving the immediate past National Chairperson of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Ladi Bala, during media coverage of the derailment.
“If any journalist or medium felt excluded or not well treated at the accident scene, I take full responsibility and sincerely apologise. We are committed to transparency and will continue to provide the press with access and information as events unfold,” Opeifa said.
Corroborating Alkali’s stance, Opeifa stressed that technical findings showed no evidence of sabotage or structural failure at the derailment site.
“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. Our initial findings indicate it was an operational accident at a junction point,” he added.
Opeifa confirmed that all 618 passengers onboard were successfully evacuated without any fatalities or serious injuries, assuring that full train services would soon resume.
“Passenger safety and service reliability remain our top priorities,” he emphasised.