The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has confirmed that 618 passengers were on board the Abuja-Kaduna train that derailed near Asham station on Tuesday morning.
The incident, which occurred around 11:09 a.m., sparked panic among travelers and their families. According to NRC spokesperson Mahmud Opeifa, six passengers sustained injuries during the derailment. He added that arrangements were already in place to refund tickets for all affected passengers.
In a swift response, the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Hajiya Zubaida Umar, led a rescue team to the accident site. Emergency medical personnel, hospitals, and security operatives were also mobilized to ensure the safety of passengers and coordinate their return to Abuja.
The NRC, in a statement via its official X handle (@info_NRC), assured the public: “Full complement of security already on the ground as effort is ongoing to move all passengers on train back to Abuja safely. Kindly bear with us at this moment.”
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has launched a probe to determine the exact cause of the derailment.
According to official reports, preliminary checks suggest the accident may have been caused by vandalism or improper fixing of the railway point where multiple lines converge. “If those points are not properly set and the train goes into it, it will fall. So, either it was vandalised or the point was not properly fixed,” the report said.
The NRC managing director dismissed claims that the trains were in poor condition, insisting investigations would establish whether the incident was due to negligence or deliberate sabotage. “It could also be caused by the enemy of the state,” another NRC source said, noting that the points at Asham station are changed manually.
The derailment has once again raised concerns about the safety of the Abuja-Kaduna rail corridor, a route previously targeted by bandits in high-profile attacks.
