The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) on Tuesday confirmed that 12 passengers were injured when the Asham train, carrying 583 people, derailed in Abuja.
NSIB Director-General, Captain Alex Badeh, said an Investigator-in-Charge had been appointed to lead the probe in collaboration with the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) and other stakeholders.
He explained that the team had secured the site and preserved critical evidence, including CCTV footage and other data, to help establish the cause of the derailment.
Badeh appealed to the Nigerian Government and stakeholders to tackle funding shortfalls, stressing that adequate resources were essential for thorough investigations to protect Nigerian lives.
The NSIB pledged to release its final report within 30 days of the incident—23 days from now—and share it with the NRC, regulators, and the public.
The derailment occurred last Tuesday along the Kaduna corridor shortly after the train departed Abuja at 11 a.m. for Kaduna.
Passengers described the scene as chaotic, with many scrambling for safety.
Following the crash, the NRC suspended train services on the Abuja-Kaduna route. NRC officials, alongside NSIB investigators and other agencies, have been working at the site.
The NRC dismissed claims that the trains were in poor condition and confirmed that ticket refunds had been initiated for all passengers.