NSIB Retrieves Evidence in Warri-Itakpe Train Derailment Probe

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau has launched a formal investigation into a train derailment that occurred on Monday, June 8, 2026, along the Warri-Itakpe rail corridor. The bureau's director general, Captain Alex Badeh Jr., is heading the investigative team, which has been collecting physical evidence and conducting interviews with personnel connected to the operation.

The investigation team visited the derailment site shortly after notification of the incident and commenced a full-scale inquiry into what caused the accident. Captain Badeh was accompanied to the scene by Kayod Opeifa, the managing director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, and Funsho Adebiyi, the permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transport. These officials coordinated the response effort alongside other relevant transport sector authorities.

The investigation process has involved documenting the accident site, examining affected railway equipment and infrastructure, and gathering technical information from train operators and other personnel involved in the service. The bureau has also extended expressions of sympathy to families affected by the derailment, acknowledging both those who lost relatives and those who sustained injuries in the incident.

The NSIB disclosed its progress through a statement released on Wednesday, one day after the derailment occurred. The bureau stated that the investigation is ongoing, with efforts focused on identifying the underlying causes of the incident and using the findings to strengthen railway safety practices across Nigeria's transport network. The retrieval of evidence from the site represents a key phase in establishing a factual record of what led to the train leaving the tracks.