Confirming the incident on Sunday in Lokoja, the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP William Ovye-Aya, said all passengers were safely evacuated to the Ajaokuta train station and later assisted to continue to their respective destinations without any casualties.
The Kogi State Police Command has rescued passengers stranded for several hours after a Warri–Itakpe train derailed in Adogo community in Ajaokuta Local Government Area of the state.
Confirming the incident on Sunday in Lokoja, the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP William Ovye-Aya, said all passengers were safely evacuated to the Ajaokuta train station and later assisted to continue to their respective destinations without any casualties.
He said the police acted promptly after receiving a distress call about the derailment and the stranded passengers.
Ovye-Aya stated that upon receiving the call, the Commissioner of Police, CP Naziru Kankarofi, immediately deployed officers to the scene to provide security cover for the affected passengers.
According to him, the Commissioner personally visited the derailment site on Sunday for an on-the-spot assessment, meeting with officials of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) and some of the passengers.
“He also directed the deployment of additional security personnel to safeguard lives, property, and railway facilities,” Ovye-Aya added.
The police command reiterated its commitment to working closely with other security agencies to ensure the safety of passengers and infrastructure in the state.
The derailment occurred barely a week after the NRC resumed the Warri–Itakpe Train Service (WITS) following a previous incident in Agbor, Delta State, which had halted operations for weeks.
In a statement issued last week, NRC Managing Director, Kayode Opeifa, had said the resumption followed the successful re-railment and restoration of the affected portion of the track after a thorough safety inspection and operational audit.
Opeifa also disclosed the arrest of two suspected vandals linked to the removal of clips and fasteners that caused the earlier derailment near Agbor.
“The suspects, two male, aged 27 and 39 were apprehended around kilometre 208 before Abraka, Delta State, on Nov. 4, by operatives of the NRC Police Command, in collaboration with local security agents.
“Preliminary investigations and their confessional statements revealed their direct involvement in tampering with vital components of the rail track,” he said.
He commended the swift response of the railway police and community security networks, stressing that the suspects would face prosecution for sabotaging national infrastructure and endangering public safety.
Meanwhile, the Senate last week constituted an ad hoc committee to investigate the growing frequency of train derailments across the country, amid concerns over railway safety and maintenance.
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