FG dismisses sabotage as cause of Abuja

Opeifa apologises for harassment of NTA reporter

From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

Minister of Transportation Saidu Alkali and the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) Managing Director, Kayode Opeifa, have denied claims that sabotage was behind last week’s Abuja–Kaduna train derailment.

Both officials assured the public that rail travel remains safe despite ongoing investigations.

Speaking with reporters at the State House over the weekend, Alkali confirmed that the inquiry into the accident is still in progress but stressed that early findings suggest the cause was an operational error rather than deliberate sabotage.

“We have fixed the point machine from here up to Kaduna, and since then, there has been no issue of derailment. For this incident, investigations are ongoing, and we don’t want to preempt the committee until it submits its report,” the minister stated.

For context, a point machine (or switch motor) is a device that allows trains to shift tracks by moving the blades of a railway turnout securely.

Alkali acknowledged that vandalism remains a persistent problem on Nigeria’s railways despite efforts that have led to arrests and prosecutions. He revealed that four of the ten coaches that overturned in the accident have been removed using specialised rail cranes.

He also disclosed that the federal government, via the Office of the National Security Adviser, is devising a strategy to better protect railway infrastructure across the country.

Additionally, the minister mentioned ongoing procurement exercises aimed at expanding rail links from Warri through Ajaokuta to Abuja.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that Nigeria experienced 188 train derailments between 2020 and 2025, with the majority occurring from 2020 to 2022: 57 in 2020, 61 in 2021, and 65 in 2022. Derailments have remained the most common form of rail accidents nationally.

The NRC Managing Director, Opeifa, issued an unreserved apology to journalists who faced challenges while covering the derailment, particularly the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) reporter who was denied access to the accident site. His apology followed a protest letter from the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), which criticised the treatment of its former national chairperson, Ladi Bala.

Bala was reportedly harassed and verbally assaulted by Opeifa on Wednesday, August 27, while covering the aftermath of the Abuja–Kaduna train derailment.

Eyewitnesses said Opeifa disrupted her live reporting, hurled insults at her, including “stupid,” “foolish woman”, and “useless”, and ordered security operatives to forcibly remove her from the scene.

Despite claiming his actions were for “security reasons”, Opeifa allegedly threatened to report Bala to security agencies, the Presidency, and NTA management in a bid to cost her job while vowing to bar her from future NRC events.

The NUJ demanded an immediate and public apology from Opeifa and urged the NRC to take decisive measures to prevent similar incidents.

But speaking to State House Correspondents on Friday, Opeifa said, “If any journalist or medium felt excluded or not well treated at the accident scene, I take full responsibility, and I sincerely apologise. We are committed to transparency and will continue to provide the press with access and information as events unfold.”

Regarding the cause of the accident, Opeifa reiterated that sabotage was not involved.

“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 or structural failure. Our initial findings indicate it was an operational accident at a junction point,” he explained.

He confirmed that all 618 passengers aboard the train were safely evacuated. Twenty passengers suffered minor injuries, while seven required hospitalisation; however, all have since been discharged with medical costs covered by the NRC.