The Nigerian Railway Corporation has confirmed that a serious accident involving the Warri-Itakpe Train Service occurred on Monday, June 8, prompting an emergency response operation and renewed concerns over rail safety along one of Nigeria’s busiest standard-gauge corridors.
The confirmation was contained in an official statement issued by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NRC, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, and reinforced by a statement from the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the railway corporation, emergency response teams and relevant authorities were immediately mobilised to the scene to provide assistance to passengers and manage the situation.
In the brief statement released on Monday evening, the NRC said:
“The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) confirms that an incident involving the Warri-Itakpe Train Service (WITS) occurred today.
“Emergency response teams and relevant authorities are currently at the scene attending to the situation and providing necessary assistance.
“The Corporation is closely monitoring developments and a detailed statement will be issued as soon as more information becomes available.
“The NRC urges the public to remain calm and rely only on official channels for verified updates.”
Bayo Onanuga also confirmed the development, stating that the corporation had verified a serious accident on the train service on Monday, June 8.
While the NRC did not immediately disclose the exact cause of the accident, casualty figures or the extent of damage, preliminary reports from multiple sources indicated that several coaches of the train were affected during the incident, with some passengers reportedly sustaining injuries. Investigations into the circumstances surrounding the accident are expected to commence as rescue and recovery efforts continue.
The Warri-Itakpe rail line is one of Nigeria’s most strategic railway routes, connecting Delta State to Kogi State through a standard-gauge corridor stretching more than 300 kilometres. The service plays a vital role in passenger transportation and economic activities across several states in the South-South and North-Central regions.
The latest incident comes amid heightened attention on the corridor following recent operational challenges. Just weeks ago, the NRC announced a temporary suspension of services on the route to allow engineers conduct technical assessments and address operational concerns aimed at improving safety and service reliability.
The Warri-Itakpe corridor has also witnessed previous derailment incidents, leading to concerns among passengers and stakeholders about infrastructure protection, maintenance and operational safety. In previous statements, railway authorities had cited vandalism and other technical challenges as factors affecting rail operations along the route.
As emergency responders continue operations at the scene, families of passengers and members of the public are anxiously awaiting further details from the railway corporation regarding the number of persons affected, the cause of the accident and measures being taken to prevent future occurrences.
The NRC has assured Nigerians that it will provide a comprehensive update as investigations progress and more facts become available. For now, authorities have appealed for calm and urged the public to avoid speculation while relying solely on official communication channels for accurate information.
