A Nigerian train derailed on Saturday, just three days after services resumed, sparking renewed concerns over rail safety amid reports of track sabotage.

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) had restarted the Warri-Itakpe train service on Wednesday, only for the incident to occur three days later.

“We wish to inform the public that a train derailment incident occurred on Saturday at approximately 19:30 hours, involving two out of the seven coaches of our WITS at Kilometre 212+8m, Agbor.

“Preliminary investigations indicated that the incident may have been caused by suspected track vandalism,” NRC Managing Director and CEO Kayode Opeifa said in a statement on Sunday.

The derailment follows a similar incident two months ago on a train travelling from Abuja to Kaduna.

Mr Opeifa confirmed that all passengers on the Warri-Itakpe train were safely evacuated.

“We are pleased to confirm that all passengers on board were safely evacuated to Agbor, and everyone has been fully accounted for. No casualties or injuries were recorded,” he said.

According to Mr Opeifa, the NRC recovery team, aided by security personnel, has been on-site since Saturday night conducting recovery operations.

He noted that the efforts were progressing steadily and were expected to conclude soon.

“As a precautionary measure, train services on the corridor have been temporarily suspended today to enable a comprehensive security and safety audit of the track and related infrastructure.

“We sincerely regret any inconvenience this may cause our valued passengers and the public.

“Normal operations will resume as soon as it is verified safe to do so,” he added.

The Warri-Itakpe line had been closed for several months to allow urgent repairs following the theft of rail tracks.

Last week, the NRC had announced that services would resume on 29 October after the completion of the repairs, making Saturday’s derailment the first major incident since the reopening.

Incidents of track vandalism and derailments are not limited to the Warri-Itakpe route, highlighting broader safety challenges across Nigeria’s railway network.

Image: Guardian.ng