The Kogi Police Command has explained how it rescued passengers who were left stranded for several hours after their train travelling from Itakpe to Warri derailed on Saturday around 4:30 p.m. at Adogo community in Ajaokuta Local Government Area of the state.
All the passengers were safely evacuated to the Ajaokuta station and later assisted to continue to their respective destinations without any casualty, the Kogi Police Command spokesperson, CSP William Ovye-Aya said on Sunday in Lokoja.
He said that the incident the police responded upon receiving a distress call about the derailed train and the stranded passengers.
Based on the distress call, the Commissioner of Police, CP Naziru Kankarofi, immediately deployed officers and men to the scene to provide security cover for the affected passengers, Ovye-Aya said.
The CP personally visited the Adogo derailment site on Sunday for an on-the-spot assessment. He met with officials of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) and the stranded passengers.
He also directed the deployment of additional security personnel to safeguard the people and facilities, Ovye-Aya said.
He quoted the Commissioner as reiterating the Command’s commitment to working closely with other security agencies to ensure the safety of lives and property in the state.
Recall that the NRC announced the resumption of the Warri-Itakpe Train Service (WITS) last week after it was shut down for weeks following a train derailment in Agbor area of Delta State.
NRC, in statement by its chief executive officer, Kayode Opeifa, said resumption of the train operation followed the re-railment and full restoration of the affected portion of the Warri-Itakpe track.
Following a thorough safety inspection and operational audit, normal train operations on the corridor will resume on Nov. 5, he said.
The managing director reassured passengers and stakeholders that NRC remained committed to maintaining the highest standards of safety and reliability.
Opeifa had also in the statement confirmed the arrest of two suspected vandals responsible for clips and fasteners removal that caused the derailment of the Warri-Itakpe Train Service near Agbor in Delta State.
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.
Opeifa commended the railway police command and community security networks for their swift and coordinated response.
He stated that the suspects would face the full wrath of the government for sabotaging national infrastructure and endangering public safety.
The Senate had last week set up an ad hoc committee to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the persistent derailments of the country’s rail lines.
