Warri–Itakpe rail tragedy: Adebayo mourns victims, demands transparent probe
By Henry Nnaemeka
Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) for the 2027 general election, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has called for an immediate and transparent investigation into the derailment of the Warri–Itakpe train near Agbor, Delta State, which reportedly claimed four lives and left several passengers injured.
Reacting to the incident, Adebayo described the accident as a national tragedy and urged authorities to uncover the circumstances that led to the derailment in order to prevent a recurrence.
The train, reportedly conveying 482 passengers, derailed near Agbor, leaving two women, one man and an infant dead, while several others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
In a statement on Tuesday, the SDP presidential candidate expressed condolences to the families of the victims and wished those injured a speedy recovery.
“This is a painful tragedy. My thoughts and prayers are with the families who lost their loved ones and with all those receiving treatment after the accident,” he said.
Adebayo stressed that every Nigerian who uses public transportation deserves confidence that the system is safe, reliable and properly maintained.
“No family boards a train expecting tragedy,” he said, adding that the incident should serve as a wake-up call for agencies responsible for transportation infrastructure and passenger safety.
While commending emergency responders and medical personnel for their swift intervention, Adebayo insisted that sympathy alone would not be enough.
He urged the Federal Government, the Nigerian Railway Corporation and relevant regulatory agencies to launch a comprehensive and independent investigation into the cause of the accident.
According to him, Nigerians deserve clear answers on whether the derailment resulted from technical failure, inadequate maintenance, operational lapses, weak oversight or avoidable negligence.
“The focus must not only be on assigning blame but on ensuring that lessons are learnt and concrete reforms are implemented to strengthen rail safety across the country,” he said.
Adebayo noted that rail transportation remains critical to economic development, regional integration and affordable mobility for millions of Nigerians, but warned that public confidence in the sector can only be sustained through strict adherence to safety standards.
He urged authorities to treat the incident as an opportunity to improve oversight, upgrade infrastructure and reinforce safety protocols nationwide.
“Public infrastructure carries a sacred duty of care. Every effort must be made to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again,” he stated.
