A train on the Warri–Itakpe rail corridor derailed on Saturday night, barely three days after the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) restored operations on the line, further heightening public fears over railway safety across the country.
The derailment, which occurred at about 7:30 p.m. at Kilometre 212+8m in Agbor, Delta State, involved two of the seven coaches on the train. No life was lost and no injury was recorded.
Announcing the incident in a statement on Sunday, the NRC Managing Director, Kayode Opeifa, attributed the derailment to suspected track vandalism.
“Preliminary investigations indicated that the incident may have been caused by suspected track vandalism,” Opeifa said.
“All passengers on board were safely evacuated to Agbor and fully accounted for. No casualties or injuries were recorded.”
He added that a recovery team supported by security operatives had been deployed to the scene and that work was ongoing to restore the track.
As a precaution, the NRC has temporarily suspended service on the Warri–Itakpe corridor pending what it described as a comprehensive security and safety audit of the track and infrastructure.
“Normal operations will resume as soon as it is verified safe to do so,” Opeifa assured, noting that the agency regrets inconveniences caused to passengers.
Saturday’s incident comes just two months after a similar derailment on the Abuja–Kaduna line involving hundreds of passengers. That accident left at least seven people injured, according to the NRC.
The Warri–Itakpe line had only resumed service on Wednesday after months of suspension to repair vandalised rail tracks. It took engineers weeks to fix the damaged sections before reopening for public use on 29 October.
Railway safety has become a national concern, with multiple derailments recorded in recent years and authorities frequently blaming sabotage, vandalism, aging rail infrastructure, and security threats.
Although Lagos State operates a relatively efficient intra-city rail system, the majority of Nigeria’s inter-state rail services are run by the NRC on old tracks that are frequently targeted by vandals.
The latest derailment is likely to intensify calls on the Federal Government to strengthen railway security, upgrade aging infrastructure, and adopt stronger surveillance technology. Transport analysts have repeatedly warned that persistent vandalism and poor maintenance culture threaten billions of naira invested in rail projects.
Passengers and advocacy groups have also urged the government to fast-track reforms and ensure accountability within the rail sector to restore public confidence.
As at the time of filing this report, NRC officials were still working to clear the damaged coaches and reopen the corridor for operations. The corporation has yet to announce a definite resumption date.
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