By Seun Ibiyemi
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has refuted claims that passengers were left stranded on the Abuja–Kaduna Train Service (AKTS) on Thursday, insisting that the brief disruption resulted from a necessary safety procedure.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Managing Director of the NRC, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, apologised to passengers affected by the delay and described reports suggesting they were abandoned as “misleading.”
According to the corporation, the afternoon AKTS service was forced to return to Rigasa Station shortly after departure when its backup engine began to lose power. Dr. Opeifa said the decision was taken out of an abundance of caution, citing security concerns along the route.
“Though the train could have pushed through, it was advisable to pull back to Rigasa for safety reasons since they were less than 30 minutes into the journey,” he explained.
The trip eventually resumed at 4 p.m.—approximately one hour later—and arrived at Idu Station, Abuja, at 6:52 p.m., running 80 minutes behind schedule. NRC said passengers were kept fully informed throughout the process via the Public Address Systems on the train and at the station.
Dr. Opeifa likened the incident to an aircraft returning to the nearest airport when an engine fails, noting that if the delay had occurred during a morning trip, the train could have proceeded and stopped at the nearest station. The decision to return, he said, was influenced by the fact it was an evening journey.
The NRC boss apologised for the inconvenience caused and urged media organisations to verify information before publication to avoid misleading the public.
He reaffirmed the corporation’s commitment to maintaining the highest safety and reliability standards across both narrow and standard gauge corridors nationwide.
NRC remains committed to ensuring all passengers reach their destinations safely, the statement added.