…as FG rules out sabotage from Abuja-Kaduna rail incident
At least five farmers were brutally murdered by suspected Boko-Haram terrorists in Gwoza Local Government Area in the Southern part of Borno State on Saturday.
BusinessDay gathered that the terrorists attacked farmers while working on their farms near the remote village of Ngoshe in Gwoza LGA of the State.
According to an eye witness, who spoke to BusinessDay, the five farmers were found in the pool of blood as their attackers slited their throats.
In another development, 12 Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) insurgents were killed during “long-range offensive commando operations” by troops of Operation Hadin Kai in Borno State.
The operation, backed by intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) of the Air Component Command, was conducted from 29 to 30 August, 2025, a Military source told BusinessDay.
Meanwhile, Sa’idu Alkali, Minister of Transport on Sunday, ruled out ” sabotage ” as possible reason for last week’s derailment of the Abuja–Kaduna train
Speaking with ghe State House Journalists at the weekend, the Minister confirmed that preliminary investigations into the incident pointed to an operational mishap rather than any act of sabotage.
“We have fixed the point machine from here up to Kaduna, and since then, there has been no issue of derailment. For this incident, investigations are ongoing, and we don’t want to preempt the Committee until it submits its report”, he said.
The Minister however, acknowledged that vandalism of railway infrastructure remains a recurring challenge despite arrests and prosecutions, saying that four out of ten coaches that derailed during the Abuja–Kaduna mishap had been successfully removed using specialised rail cranes.
He also revealed that the Federal Government, through the Office of the National Security Adviser, was working on a comprehensive plan to safeguard railway assets nationwide.
Alkali who spoke alongside Opeifa, Managing Director of the Nigeria Railway Corporation, NRC, also hinted at ongoing procurement processes to extend rail connectivity from Warri to Ajaokuta and Abuja.
According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria has recorded 188 train derailments between 2020 and 2025.
Of this figure, 183 incidents occurred between 2020 and 2022, with 57 cases in 2020, 61 in 2021, and 65 in 2022—making derailments the most frequent form of railway accidents in recent years.
On the treatment of journalists covering the derailment, NRC Managing Director Kayode Opeifa tendered an unreserved apology, particularly to the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) reporter who was denied access at the accident site.
His apology followed a protest letter from the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), which condemned the harassment of its immediate past national chairperson, Ladi Bala.
