Nigeria’s parliament has summoned the Minister of Transportation, Sa’idu Alkali, giving him 48 hours to appear before lawmakers following the derailment of a train on the busy Abuja–Kaduna line.
The House Committee on Land Transport suspended its Tuesday hearing after Alkali failed to attend. The train, carrying more than 600 passengers, derailed on Aug. 25, raising fresh concerns about safety on the route.
Committee chair Blessing Onuh said the minister had “snubbed parliament” despite the scale of the incident, while Deputy House spokesman Philip Agbese called his absence a sign of “incompetence and disregard for Nigerians.”
Lawmakers warned that continued defiance would be reported to President Bola Tinubu, stressing the need for urgent answers on rail safety.
