On Monday morning, a Kaduna-Abuja train accident left 26 people injured after the locomotive engine detached and struck the power car, causing a system shutdown. NRC Managing Director Kayode Opeifa explained that the impact also hit a passenger coach, disrupting the journey at approximately 9:16 am.
The NRC admitted the train was operating with only one engine, violating safety protocols that require two. To resume the trip, crews had to maneuver the engine to the front of the train and reattach it at Ojere, resulting in a 30-minute delay for the remaining passengers.
Emergency responders evacuated the seriously injured to a hospital in Kubwa, while others were moved to Idu. While the damaged locomotive was eventually cleared to allow the train to proceed, the incident has highlighted significant gaps in the corporation’s operational safety.
Following this latest derailment, the Senate has launched a nationwide probe into the rail system. This investigation will include public hearings to assess the quality of imported infrastructure and identify the root causes of recurring accidents along the Abuja-Kaduna corridor.
