The Senate yesterday launched a sweeping investigation into railway projects executed under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Red Chamber said its action was informed by the persistent derailments, vandalism and mechanical failures along the Itakpe–Warri standard gauge corridor.
The resolution followed a motion by Senator Ede Dafinone (APC, Delta Central), who raised alarm over the “disturbing and persistent technical breakdowns” on the corridor, despite its recent inauguration.
The Senate subsequently set up an ad hoc committee with a six-week mandate to conduct a comprehensive probe into the Itakpe–Warri line and other rail projects completed during the Buhari years.
Dafinone told fellow senators that the line had recorded at least 10 derailments and multiple service disruptions between 2023 and 2025 alone, endangering passengers and undermining public confidence in the rail system.
The Delta Central senator raised questions on the quality of engineering, supervision and post-construction maintenance.
He urged the Federal Ministry of Transportation and the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to carry out an independent technical audit of the corridor and implement corrective measures.
Dafinone also called for an oversight visit by the Senate Committee on Land Transport to the affected sections, especially around Agbor in Delta State.
The Delta Central senator further pushed for the establishment of a National Rail Safety and Standards Unit to enforce compliance with global best practices and strengthen monitoring across all national rail corridors.
He also urged the Federal Government to accelerate the long-planned extension of the Itakpe line to Abuja to ease congestion.
Supporting the motion, Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) described the repeated breakdowns, especially in the area, as “a national embarrassment”.
He noted that huge loans were obtained to construct the rail lines under the previous administration.
“This is not about politics. Billions of dollars were borrowed for these lines, yet they are failing barely two years after completion.
“We cannot continue to waste public funds and endanger lives,” he said.
Senator Patrick Ndubueze (Imo North) called for a complete overhaul of the NRC, insisting that the corporation had “failed to live up to its mandate”.
Senator Solomon Adeola (APC, Ogun West) called for transparency in loan utilisation, contract awards and construction supervision.
Other senators urged the chamber to broaden the investigation to all railway projects executed during the Buhari administration.
They said the pattern of failures might indicate systemic lapses rather than isolated incidents.
Senator Babangida Hussaini (APC, Jigawa Northwest) blamed poor project conception and weak maintenance culture for the frequent derailments.
The senator argued that the same contractors had delivered quality rail systems in other African countries.
“Our roads are failing because the railways cannot carry freight. We are overburdening one sector because another is inefficient,” he said.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio applauded the robust debate on the development.
He described the motion as timely and necessary to protect lives and safeguard national investments.
“This is not a partisan matter. The derailments started before this administration. We must find out what went wrong – from loan procurement to execution and maintenance. Nigerians deserve answers,” Akpabio said.
At the end of deliberations, the Senate mandated the Ministry of Transportation and the NRC to immediately fix the Itakpe–Warri line, deploy additional coaches and improve safety standards.
It also directed its Committee on Land Transport to undertake a full probe of all Buhari-era rail projects, focusing on funding, construction quality and maintenance practices.
The lawmakers endorsed the creation of a National Rail Safety and Standards Unit.