Chukwu Obinna 
ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigeria’s Senate has launched a sweeping investigation into the country’s rail safety systems following another derailment on the Warri–Itakpe corridor, the second shutdown of the key route in three months.
During Tuesday’s plenary, lawmakers voted to establish an ad hoc committee led by Senator Adams Oshiomhole, giving it six weeks to identify structural failures, review maintenance standards, and evaluate the financial and technical management of rail projects.
The inquiry will specifically examine procurement and construction quality, oversight lapses, and China-funded rail financing agreements, which have shaped Nigeria’s modern rail network.
Senator Ede Dafinone, who raised the motion, said the November 2 derailment near Agbor in Delta State underscores “a disturbing pattern of systemic failure.”
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) confirmed no deaths or injuries, but NRC Managing Director Kayode Opeifa said early findings suggest the tracks may have been tampered with.
“All passengers were safely evacuated and accounted for. Recovery work is ongoing,” Opeifa stated, adding that services remain suspended pending a full safety review.
Records show the Warri–Itakpe line — Nigeria’s longest modern rail route — had only just resumed operations on October 29 following a previous shutdown in August.
National Bureau of Statistics data indicates over 188 rail-related incidents between 2020 and 2025, linked to vandalism, poor supervision, ageing infrastructure, and weak enforcement.
The Senate’s intervention signals rising concern that operational failures are undermining public confidence in rail travel, a key pillar of Nigeria’s transportation modernization strategy.
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Mirian Gom 
