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See what caused Abuja-Kaduna train derailment

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The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau has revealed that poor infrastructure maintenance and operational lapses were the primary causes of the Abuja-Kaduna train derailment that occurred on August 26, 2025.

The bureau’s preliminary report, released on Wednesday, slightly differs from the Nigeria Railway Corporation’s earlier explanation and sheds light on long-standing systemic failures.

The NSIB disclosed that 21 passengers sustained varying degrees of injuries, not 20 as initially claimed by the NRC. Fortunately, no fatalities were recorded. According to the report, the injured passengers received first aid before being evacuated to hospitals for further treatment.

The accident involved NRC’s train number AK1, powered by locomotive CDD5c2 2701, which derailed at the Asham section of the Abuja-Kaduna rail corridor around 11 am that morning. The derailment caused carriages to overturn, sending passengers scrambling for safety. Eyewitnesses described the incident as chaotic, with some fearing it was a terrorist attack before realising it was an accident.

In the immediate aftermath of the accident, the NRC attributed the derailment to human error, excessive speeding, and misapplication of the emergency brake system.

However, the NSIB’s preliminary report paints a very different picture.

According to the bureau, the derailment was largely linked to neglected infrastructure, including a broken point clip and an unserviceable automatic switch mechanism at Asham Station. With the equipment inoperative, railway staff were forced to manually operate and lock the switch — a risky procedure that set the stage for disaster.

When the train passed over the defective section, the front coaches began to shake violently before derailing, damaging over 300 sleepers, destroying hundreds of track fasteners, and inflicting heavy damage on parts of the signalling system.

The NSIB noted that the faulty infrastructure had been flagged in an earlier derailment at the same location just 13 months prior. At that time, only superficial repairs were carried out on the damaged sleepers. “The occurrence was the second derailment at Asham Station within 13 months,” the report said. “Some sleepers damaged in the previous incident were only patched, rather than being properly replaced.”

Beyond infrastructure problems, the Bureau highlighted operational weaknesses within the NRC. Personnel had undergone only initial training, with no formal refresher courses to update their skills. Critical operational and maintenance tools such as OEM spare parts, CCTV cameras, clocks, and other communication devices were either unavailable or left in disrepair.

The bureau’s report stressed that the lack of adequate infrastructure and training meant that staff were ill-prepared to manage risks effectively. On the day of the derailment, the shunter cleared the train to proceed manually, despite the faulty switch. The result was a devastating derailment that shook public confidence in the nation’s rail system.

Though no lives were lost, the injuries sustained by 21 passengers highlighted the consequences of systemic neglect. “Official records confirmed 21 passengers sustained minor to major injuries, some passengers were evacuated without recourse to local health facilities,” the report noted.

The NSIB issued several immediate safety recommendations to prevent future derailments and improve the reliability of rail services in Nigeria. These include immediate replacement of all derailment-affected sleepers to ensure track stability, replacement of all point switches at Asham Station and across the Abuja-Kaduna route with reliable OEM parts.

Others include addressing all caution zones along the corridor to reduce the risk of further accidents, regular refresher training for NRC personnel to maintain high safety and operational standards, restoration of all defective monitoring and communication equipment to OEM standards, including CCTV systems, clocks, and signalling systems.

The Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance at the NSIB, Bimbo Oladeji, explained that the preliminary report represents early findings and is subject to further analysis. “The final report will present detailed conclusions and additional recommendations to enhance rail safety in Nigeria,” he said.

Oladeji added that the NSIB is committed to conducting a thorough investigation that not only identifies immediate causes but also addresses the systemic issues threatening the safety of Nigeria’s growing rail transport sector.

The Abuja-Kaduna rail corridor has long been regarded as a strategic transport link, serving thousands of commuters daily. However, the derailment has once again raised concerns over the state of Nigeria’s railway infrastructure. For passengers, the incident has revived memories of past tragedies and heightened anxiety over the safety of train travel.

Industry experts believe that unless urgent reforms are implemented, the NRC risks further eroding public trust. Analysts note that the Abuja-Kaduna line, which has already suffered from terrorist attacks and vandalism in recent years, cannot afford additional safety failures.

The NSIB’s preliminary findings highlight a pressing need for systemic reforms in Nigeria’s rail operations. Infrastructure must be maintained to OEM standards, personnel must receive regular training, and critical safety equipment must be restored and upgraded.

While passengers can take some comfort that no lives were lost in the latest derailment, the incident underscores the high cost of neglect. If Nigeria is to expand its rail network and make it a reliable alternative for mass transit, the safety lapses that contributed to the August derailment must be urgently addressed.

The bureau’s final report, expected in the coming months, is anticipated to provide more comprehensive guidance for ensuring that rail travel in Nigeria meets international safety standards.

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UK Charity Commission freezes over 100 bank accounts linked to MFM

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On Tuesday, the UK’s Charity Commission announced it had frozen the assets of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries International (MFM), a Nigerian-founded church.

On its website, the UK government concluded that its trustees failed to manage the organisation’s finances properly across its UK branches.

The UK Charity Commission is a non-ministerial department that registers and regulates charities in England and Wales, to ensure that the public can confidently support charities.

MFM, founded by Nigerian cleric Daniel Olukoya, is one of Nigeria’s most influential Pentecostal churches. It has a strong global presence, particularly in the United Kingdom, where many Nigerian diaspora communities worship.

MFM is not the first Nigerian-founded church to face scrutiny in the UK. In recent years, other Nigerian-origin churches, including SPAC Nation in December 2024 and Christ Embassy in November 2019, have been investigated regarding governance and financial accountability concerns.

The incident raises broader questions about how rapidly expanding churches adapt their internal systems when moving into regulated environments like the UK, where religious organisations registered as charities must meet strict financial reporting standards.

The case has, therefore, sparked wider conversations about financial transparency and governance among fast-growing African churches operating overseas.

How the investigation began

On 27 March 2018, the Charity Commission opened a statutory inquiry into MFM under Section 46 of the UK’s Charities Act 2011. Concerns have been raised regarding the possible misappropriation of charity funds and weak internal financial controls.

The Commission discovered that the church had expanded rapidly in the UK, growing from a few branches to more than 90 locations nationwide, without developing a solid financial governance structure to match its growth.

According to the final report, the Commission found that trustees did not properly oversee more than 100 separate bank accounts operated by different church branches. These accounts were opened and managed autonomously, often without informing central leadership or providing timely income reports.

Commission’s report

The commission reported that the church’s branches operated independently without central approval and that Major financial decisions, such as property purchases and lease agreements, were made without trustee authorisation.

Additionally, some branches used properties without securing planning permissions, leading to costly legal actions. It highlighted that Poor employment contract management resulted in financial settlements for employment disputes, and the lack of a unified monetary system created serious risks to charitable funds.

As a result, the regulator concluded that donor money was at risk due to weak financial oversight and poor governance.

Interim Manager Appointed to Restore Control

On 1 August 2019, following serious concerns about the trustees’ ability to manage the charity effectively, the Commission appointed an interim manager under Section 76(3)(g) of the Charities Act. The interim manager worked alongside the trustees to implement critical financial controls.

This oversight continued until 13 September 2024, when the interim manager was discharged after making progress.

Following the conclusion of the investigation, the Charity Commission announced that it had frozen the charity’s assets to prevent further financial risk while strengthening accountability structures.

Amy Spiller, Head of Investigations at the Charity Commission, said:

“The rapid growth of a charity comes with correspondingly larger potential risks, as our inquiry clearly shows. In this case, the trustees’ fundamental failure to maintain financial controls meant donor funds were at serious risk across their entire network.”

She added that the trustees are better positioned to ensure financial responsibility and compliance following regulatory intervention.

Regulatory Action

Upon completing its review, the Commission issued a regulatory action plan that required MFM to strengthen its governance policies and improve financial transparency. The Commission has confirmed that trustees have complied with the action plan, and the charity is now expected to operate under stricter financial controls going forward.

When this report was filed, neither MFM International nor its founder, Daniel Olukoya, had issued a public statement in response to the Charity Commission’s findings.

Collins Edomaruse, the media aide to Mr Olukoya, did not respond to calls or text messages.

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MDAs under fire as FG probes TSA violations

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The Federal Government, through the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, has ordered all Ministries, Departments and Agencies to submit their statements of accounts in commercial banks.

The government said the move was part of its plans to maintain financial discipline.

This was disclosed in a memo signed by the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, which was obtained by our correspondent on Tuesday.

Ogunjimi in the memo expressed grievance over the continuous usage of commercial banks by MDAs despite an earlier directive ordering MDAs to close such accounts and focus on the use of the Treasury Single Account domiciled in the Central Bank.

Recall that the government in February mandated MDAs to stop the use of commercial banks, as it opposes the framework of the TSA.

While reiterating the Federal Government’s commitment to the Treasury Single Account policy, the Accountant-General of the Federation urged the Federal Pay Officers to monitor and ensure that Ministries, Departments, and Agencies in the States do not operate any account with the commercial banks or circumvent any provision of the TSA policy,” the statement by the OSGF said in February.

Reacting to the new memo, Ogunniyi said, “It has been observed with dismay that funds belonging to the Federal Government are still domiciled in several accounts held with commercial banks, contrary to Federal Government Circulars and the operational framework of the Treasury Single Account, which mandates the consolidation of all Federal Government revenues and receipts into the TSA domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“In view of the above and following the Honourable Minister of Finance directive, all Directors/Heads of Finance and Accounts in Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies and Federal Government-owned Enterprises are immediately required to submit Statements of all Bank Accounts (active, dormant and closed) maintained in all commercial banks over the last six (6) months, clearly indicating account names, account numbers, bank branches and current balances.”

“This directive takes immediate effect and must be treated with the utmost urgency, as it is part of the ongoing efforts to strengthen fiscal discipline and uphold the integrity of the Treasury Single Account Framework.”

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Kanu to defend self, lists Danjuma, Wike, Sanwo-Olu as witnesses

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The detained leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, made a dramatic turn on Tuesday by informing the Federal High Court in Abuja that he was ready to open his defence.

This came just hours after Omoyele Sowore, the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, led protests in parts of Abuja demanding Kanu’s release.

Kanu had, last Thursday, filed a preliminary objection challenging the court’s jurisdiction to continue his trial.

The objection came on the same day a team of medical experts appointed by the court declared him medically fit to stand trial, Channels reports.

In a fresh motion personally filed on Tuesday, October 21, Kanu told the court that he was prepared to begin his defence “pursuant to the order of this honourable court made on the 16th day of October 2015, directing the defendant to commence his defence on the 24th day of October 2025.”

He disclosed plans to call 23 witnesses divided into two categories, “ordinary but material witnesses” and “vital and compellable witnesses”, the latter to be summoned under Section 232 of the Evidence Act, 2011.

The motion, which Kanu personally signed, suggested that he may have disengaged his legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Kanu Agabi.

He also requested 90 days to conclude his defence due to the number of witnesses he intends to call.

Kanu stated that he would testify on his own behalf, “providing a sworn account of the facts, denying the allegations, and explaining the political context of his statements and actions.”

Among those listed as “compellable witnesses” were former Minister of Defence, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd); former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd); Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma.

Others include the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike; Minister of Works, Dave Umahi; and former Abia State governor, Okezie Ikpeazu.

Kanu also listed former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN); former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Rufai Abubakar; and Director-General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Magaji Bichi, among others whose identities he withheld.

Kanu pledged to submit sworn statements from all voluntary witnesses and to notify the prosecution within a reasonable time.

He assured the court that “no precious time of the honourable court would be delayed,” adding that “justice must not only be done but be manifestly seen to have been done.”

Meanwhile, on the same day Kanu filed his motion, a magistrate court in Abuja ordered the remand of his special counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, and 12 others arrested during protests demanding his release.

The police charged the 13 defendants with criminal conspiracy, disobedience of a lawful order, inciting disturbance, and disturbance of public peace — offences contrary to sections 152, 114, and 113 of the Penal Code Law.

Those named in the first two information reports include Ejimakor, Kanu’s brother Emmanuel, Joshua Emmanuel, Wilson Anyalewechi, Okere Kingdom Nnamdi, Clinton Chimeneze, Gabriel Joshua, Isiaka Husseini, Onyekachi Ferdinand, Amadi Prince, Edison Ojisom, Godwill Obioma, and Chima Onuchukwu.

The magistrate, after briefly standing down the case, ordered their remand at Kuje Correctional Centre and adjourned the matter till October 24 for arraignment.

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