Falsified Rail Crash Reports: Sijuwade Backs NSIB Probes

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BY ANTHONY OMOH

Former Managing Director of the Nigeria Railways Corporation (NRC), Engineer Seyi Sijuwade, has raised serious concerns over what he described as a recurring “judge and jury syndrome” in the investigation of rail accidents in Nigeria. He warned that such a system fosters falsified rail crash reports and undermines safety reform.

Sijuwade spoke at the NSIB Multimodal Transportation Stakeholders Workshop held at the Los Angeles Event Centre in Abuja. Themed “Strengthening Transport Safety Standards Through Collaboration,” the event brought together transport experts to drive a unified safety agenda.

Citing his experience in the sector, Sijuwade lamented the lack of independence in how rail incidents are currently handled. Particularly, when personnel involved in daily operations are tasked with conducting internal investigations. This he said leads to falsified rail crash reports

“We have cases where the train driver happens to be very loyal to the director of operations. We’ve seen situations where maintenance was overlooked because it would implicate a close ally of senior staff,” he stated.

“If we do not allow bodies like the NSIB to lead these investigations, we risk bias and falsified rail crash reports. That’s not just dangerous, it’s criminal.”

According to Sijuwade, the implications are not just institutional but operational. The pressure on railway departments to deliver services while simultaneously investigating themselves creates a conflict of interest that  often leads to cover-ups or destruction of evidence. hence, they falsified rail crash reports

“Imagine a scenario where people responsible for operating the trains are also responsible for probing the same accidents. Perishable evidence gets destroyed, not always by accident, but by fear,” he warned. “It is human nature to protect oneself, especially when disciplinary consequences are involved. But that compromises safety for everyone.”

He emphasized the critical role of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) in ensuring objective analysis of transport mishaps across modes, urging stakeholders to always defer to the bureau immediately after an incident.

“If we have that openness, the moment an accident happens, the first call should be to the NSIB. Not the police. Not DSS. Not the fire brigade. Why? Because the outcome of an NSIB investigation isn’t about blame, it’s about learning,” Sijuwade noted.

He also cited global best practices, particularly the UK railway safety structure, as a model Nigeria should emulate.

In that system, responsibility is clearly split among operators, regulators, and investigators, each with clearly defined, independent mandates. This, he argues, gives little room to falsified rail crash reports

“In the UK, the Office of Rail and Road regulates; the Railway Accident Investigation Branch investigates; and none of them operate trains. But in Nigeria, NRC operates the trains, maintains the infrastructure, and investigates its own failures. That’s the very definition of judge and jury.”

Sijuwade further recommended that the NSIB’s work be complemented by an independent enforcement agency that ensures full compliance with its safety recommendations.

He revealed that too many reports gather dust because the very agencies responsible for accidents are left to implement findings.

“The NSIB says it all the time,  they don’t enforce. But then who does? If the same institution that caused the accident is tasked with implementing the fix, we are going nowhere. There must be a safety regulator empowered to accredit operators and enforce compliance.”

On public involvement, Sijuwade acknowledged that citizens are often reluctant to report incidents or participate in investigations due to fear of reprisal.

He urged the creation of simplified reporting protocols and protective measures for whistleblowers. To him, falsified rail crash reports does not give room for any improvement in the rail or any other sector for that matter

To move forward, he proposed formal Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) between the NSIB and emergency agencies like the police, DSS, and fire service to clarify roles during multimodal accidents.

“This workshop should not be a one-off,” he concluded. “We need continued stakeholder engagement, transparent report dissemination, and strong advocacy if we are truly committed to transport safety.”

His who;e presentation bothered on falsified rail crash reports, non-punitive reporting systems and strong regulatory frameworks for multi modal transportation investigation.