The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has denied reports alleging vandalism on the Lagos–Ibadan Standard Gauge Railway, stressing that the corridor remains safe for passengers and operations.
The clarification was contained in a statement released on Saturday in Lagos by the corporation’s Chief Public Relations Officer, Callistus Unyimadu, and reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
In the statement, NRC Managing Director, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, described the online report and video circulating on the matter as misleading.
Opeifa explained that the incidents referenced in the report did not occur on the Lagos–Ibadan Standard Gauge line but on the old narrow-gauge corridor in Oyo State. He stated that the thefts took place between August 7 and August 27, 2024, around Erunmu, where E-clips and short rails were carted away.
“The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has refuted an online publication claiming that the Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge Line has been vandalised and not safe for usage.
“The Managing Director of the corporation, Dr Kayode Opeifa, made the clarification in a statement on Saturday in Lagos. The statement was signed by Mr Callistus Unyimadu, Chief Public Relations Officer, NRC,” the NAN report read in part.
It added, “He also said that the incident did not occur on the Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge corridor.
“Opeifa said that the incident took place between Aug. 7, 2024 and Aug. 27 2024, on the old narrow gauge line between Kilometre 170 (Omi-Adio) and Kilometre 240 (Erunmu) in Oyo State.”
According to Opeifa, after the vandalism involving E-clips and short rails on the old narrow-gauge corridor in Oyo State, the NRC immediately launched community engagement initiatives with the village head of Erunmu, local vigilante groups, and the police. Sensitisation campaigns were also conducted to discourage scrap dealers from buying stolen railway components.
The NRC warned against vandalising railway infrastructure, describing such acts as economic sabotage and cautioning that offenders will face prosecution if caught.
The Lagos–Ibadan Standard Gauge Railway, constructed by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), is a key transport link between Lagos and Ibadan in Oyo State.
According to CCECC, the railway had been in safe operation for 1,000 days as of March 5, 2024, transporting over 2 million passengers during that period.