From Our Correspondent
Abuja, Sept. 1, ’25 (TNZ) The Federal Government has dismissed claims of sabotage in the recent Abuja-Kaduna train derailment.
TheNewsZenith reports that the Minister of Transportation, Sen. Saidu Alkali, who announced this, reaffirming the Federal Government’s commitment to the safety and security of rail operations nationwide.
Alkali spoke to State House correspondents in Abuja alongside the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Mr Kayode Opeifa, at weekend in Abuja.
He said preliminary investigations suggested the incident was due 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.
“A point machine, also known as a switch motor, is a device that moves rail turnout blades, allowing trains to change tracks safely and efficiently,” TheNewsZenith quotes Alkalu as saying.
The minister acknowledged that vandalism continued to pose a serious challenge to railway safety, in spite of ongoing arrests and prosecutions of those damaging rail infrastructure.
He confirmed that the corporation had recovered four out of ten derailed coaches, using specialised railway cranes and equipment.
The minister also announced that procurement was underway to extend the rail line from Warri to Ajaokuta and eventually to Abuja.
Read Related News:
In his remarks, NRC Managing Director, Opeifa apologised to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) over 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 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,” TheNewsZenith quotes Opeifa as saying.
Corroborating the minister’s stance, Opeifa citing technical evidence from the derailment site.
“Nationwide, vandals and scrap syndicates are constantly targetting rail tracks.
“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.
Opeifa confirmed that the corporation evacuated all 618 passengers on board the train were successfully without any loss of life.
The NRC boss assured that the corporation is making efforts to restore full train services along the Abuja-Kaduna corridor.
He stressed that passenger safety and service reliability remained top priorities. (TNZ)
Do you have a flair for Citizenship Journalism? Share stories of local happenings with TheNewsZenith on WhatsApp: +2348033668669. For more scintillating news, visit our website: www.thenewszenith.com. Also follow us on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@thenewszenithOnline, Facebook: www.facebook.com/@thenewszenithonline & Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@thenewszenithonline
