THE Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has confirmed the death of four passengers and injuries to at least 24 others after four coaches of the Warri–Itakpe Train Service (WITS) capsized and another derailed near Agbor, Delta State.
The NRC disclosed details of the incident in a statement released on Tuesday, June 9, through the Federal Ministry of Transportation and signed by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Funsho Adebiyi.
The ICIR reported that the accident, which occurred on Monday, June 8, is the latest in a series of operational setbacks that have plagued the rail corridor in recent years, raising renewed concerns about safety on one of Nigeria’s major standard-gauge railway lines.
“The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) regrets to confirm that a serious train accident occurred yesterday along the Warri–Itakpe Train Service (WITS) corridor near Agbor, Delta State,” the statement partly read.
“Preliminary reports indicate that four coaches capsized while one coach derailed, resulting in the unfortunate loss of four lives, comprising two adult females, one adult male, and one infant passenger,” the statement added.
The ministry said a total of 442 passengers had booked for the journey, while 40 crew members, security personnel and third-party service providers were also on board, bringing the total number of persons on the train to 482.
It stated that emergency rescue and evacuation operations were immediately activated with support from the Delta State Government and relevant emergency agencies.
“Rescue and evacuation operations were immediately activated with the support of the Delta State Government, NEMA, FRSC, the Police, Civil Defence, local authorities, security agencies, and other emergency responders, and were completed by 6:30 p.m. Injured passengers were evacuated to medical facilities in Agbor for treatment,” the statement said.
The ministry disclosed that among those onboard were Ede Dafinone, a senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District, and former Delta State Secretary to the State Government, Patrick Ukah.
“As of the time of this release, 24 serious injuries have been recorded, while several other passengers sustained varying degrees of injuries and are receiving medical attention. One NRC staff member suffered a traumatic limb injury and is currently receiving treatment and is reported to be in stable condition,” the statement noted.
The ministry expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and wished those injured a speedy recovery.
The corporation also commended the Delta State Government, emergency responders, security agencies, medical personnel, members of the public, the NRC Mechanical Directorate and the Special Rescue and Emergency Team for their swift response to the incident.
According to the ministry, the train’s full passenger manifest has been recovered and would be made available to relevant authorities. It added that efforts were ongoing to identify all injured and deceased persons for proper documentation.
The latest derailment adds to a series of operational setbacks that have plagued the Warri–Itakpe rail corridor in the last couple of years.
In May 2026, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) suspended services on the route, citing operational challenges and technical advice from its engineers to allow for safety checks, maintenance and system assessments.
Recall that in November 2025, the Warri–Itakpe train derailed in the Agbor area of Delta State just four days after the route resumed operations following months of suspension linked to technical faults and track repairs.
The NRC subsequently halted services again to conduct safety and security audits.
Before the November derailment, the NRC had suspended operations on the Warri–Itakpe route on August 2 following a series of train breakdowns and technical faults.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transportation said a full investigation had commenced to determine the cause of Monday’s accident.
“A full investigation into the cause of the accident has commenced, while efforts will continue to account for all passengers and provide the necessary support to those affected.”
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M