The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Kayode Opeifa, has apologised to Nigerians over the Abuja-Kaduna train derailment and declared that he takes full responsibility for the incident.
Opeifa, speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, described the derailment as regrettable but assured that the matter would not be swept under the carpet.
“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,” said Opeifa.
He, however, said that though the incident should not have happened, the NRC would ensure that there is no recurrence.
“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.
“And I assure Nigerians that just as we are doing currently on the Warri-Itakpe, which he (the analyst) also mentioned, we shut down the Warri-Itakpe (route) three weeks ago.
“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 is to make sure things like this don’t happen,” he added.
The train, which departed Abuja around 11 a.m. en route to Kaduna, derailed shortly after takeoff, leaving passengers stranded and causing panic. Witnesses described the atmosphere as chaotic, with travellers scrambling to safety after some coaches slipped off the track.
Although no fatalities were reported, the incident reignited concerns about the safety of Nigeria’s railway infrastructure, particularly the busy Abuja-Kaduna corridor, which has become the preferred route for many passengers due to insecurity on the highway.
Opeifa acknowledged the gravity of the situation, saying the derailment should never have occurred. However, he stressed that the NRC would treat the incident as an opportunity to strengthen its operations.
“An event like this is not expected, is not prayed for, and should not be happening. But where it does, it is to bring out the best in us,” he stated.
The NRC boss pointed out that the corporation had already taken proactive steps to safeguard other routes, citing the Warri-Itakpe line, which was shut down three weeks ago for major repairs. According to him, engineers are currently working on replacing worn-out tracks and fixing weak spots to prevent future accidents.
He assured Nigerians that the NRC remains committed to safety and would continue to invest in upgrading infrastructure across its rail network.
“We must earn the trust of Nigerians by ensuring that every train journey is safe and reliable. That is the standard we are working towards,” he added
