The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has confirmed the arrest of two suspects linked to the vandalism that caused the recent derailment of the Warri-Itakpe Train Service (WITS) near Agbor, Delta State.
In a statement released by the Corporation, the suspects were identified as 27-year-old Mudansuru Mutari and 39-year-old Blorie Kokori. They were apprehended around Kilometer 208 before Abraka, Delta State, on Tuesday, November 4, by operatives of the NRC Police Command in collaboration with local security agents.
The NRC Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Kayode Opeifa, said preliminary investigations and confessional statements revealed the duo’s direct involvement in tampering with key fasteners and components of the rail track. He described their actions as a deliberate act of sabotage that endangered public safety and disrupted national infrastructure.
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Opeifa commended the Railway Police Command and local security networks for their swift coordination, stressing that the suspects would face the full weight of the law. He reiterated that vandalism of railway assets amounts to economic sabotage and poses a grave threat to national security.
He further reaffirmed the NRC’s zero-tolerance policy for vandalism, noting that the corporation will continue to work closely with security agencies to ensure all perpetrators are arrested and prosecuted.
“The corporation remains fully committed to maintaining the highest standards of safety and reliability. We have intensified surveillance, deployed advanced monitoring technologies, and strengthened community partnerships along all railway corridors,” Opeifa said.
The NRC confirmed that re-railment and full restoration of the affected Warri-Itakpe track section were completed on Sunday, November 2, with train services resuming on Wednesday, November 5.
Appreciating passengers for their patience during the suspension, the Corporation assured that normal operations had resumed without disruptions.
Providing an update, NRC Coordinator for WITS, Sani Ganiyu, said, “The train from Warri to Itakpe arrived as scheduled this evening, and the return trip is already en route back to Warri.”
The Warri-Itakpe line, one of Nigeria’s key inter-state rail routes, has faced multiple cases of vandalism in recent months, prompting renewed calls for stricter penalties against saboteurs and increased investment in rail security.
