By Deborah Nnamdi
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has confirmed that two coaches of the Warri–Itakpe Train Service (WITS) derailed on Saturday evening.
In a statement issued on Sunday by its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Kayode Opeifa, the corporation said the incident occurred around 7:30 p.m. and was suspected to have been caused by vandals.
Opeifa disclosed that no casualties or injuries were recorded, adding that all passengers were safely evacuated to Agbor.
“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,” the statement read.
The NRC said recovery operations had begun immediately, with its team and security personnel stationed at the site to restore normalcy.
“Our recovery team, supported by security personnel, has been at the site since last night, carrying out recovery operations. These efforts are progressing steadily and are expected to be completed soon,” Opeifa added.
As a precaution, the NRC announced a temporary suspension of train services on the corridor to allow for a comprehensive safety and security audit of the tracks and related infrastructure.
“We sincerely regret any inconvenience this may cause our valued passengers and the general public. Normal operations will resume as soon as it is verified safe to do so,” the statement concluded.
The Warri–Itakpe route has experienced multiple service interruptions this year. Operations were suspended for 72 hours in April 2025 following engine failures, while another halt occurred in February due to a technical fault. Train services only resumed on October 29, 2025, after a similar disruption earlier that month.
