The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Kayode Opeifa, has come under fire following allegations of harassment, intimidation, and verbal assault on a Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) journalist, Comrade Ladi Bala, while covering the aftermath of a train derailment along the Abuja-Kaduna rail corridor.

Bala, who is the immediate past president of the Nigerian Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), was reportedly subjected to unprovoked verbal attacks on August 27, 2025, while performing her official duty at the scene of the derailment.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council, condemned the conduct of the NRC boss.

The union described the actions of Opeifa as dehumanising and a gross violation of press freedom.

According to the council, Opeifa disrupted Bala’s live report, allegedly calling her “stupid,” “foolish,” and “useless,” while questioning her appearance and professionalism.

The union said he further threatened to report her to security agencies, the Presidency, and NTA management to secure her dismissal, and ordered security operatives to forcibly remove her from the scene.

The NUJ FCT Council, through its secretary, Comrade Jide Oyekunle, demanded an immediate and public apology from Opeifa and urged the Nigerian Railway Corporation to take decisive action to prevent a recurrence.

The statement said: “On August 27, 2025, while performing her professional and legal duties covering the aftermath of the train derailment along the Abuja-Kaduna rail line, Comrade Bala was subjected to unprovoked assault by the MD using words like “you are stupid, your management is stupid, foolish woman, ‘look at you, you are not even properly dressed, useless.” Who is watching NTA and so on.

“Opeifa, who aggressively questioned her presence, disrupted her live reporting in the process and allegedly threatened her with physical removal, and eventually ordered security personnel to bundle her away from the scene.

“According to other journalists who were at the scene, the MD verbally assaulted her with derogatory and demeaning language, including personal attacks on her appearance and professionalism.

“When NUJ officials reached out to the Managing Director, he cited security reasons for not allowing her to do live streaming but continued to threaten Ladi Bala that he would report her to the security agencies, Presidency and NTA management and ensure she is sacked from her office.”

According to the union, the NRC MD also threatened to prevent the journalist from covering any corporate event where he oversees.

“He even threatened and insulted the NUJ Chairman, Grace Ike, who tried to hear his own side of the story and tried to resolve the situation.

“This conduct of Mr. Opeifa was not only dehumanising but a blatant violation of the journalist’s right to freedom of expression and press freedom as guaranteed under Section 22 and Section 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999(as amended).

“It is an affront on democracy and rule of law, and such acts of intimidation and violence undermine the fundamental role of journalism in promoting transparency, accountability, and public enlightenment.

“The inane attitude of Mr. Opeifa is another clear indication of growing hostility against the media in Nigeria and intolerant posture of government officials to accountability and public scrutiny. Such conduct is unacceptable and contrary to the values of democracy and human rights”, the statement added.

The council said it stands firmly in solidarity with Bala and reiterated its commitment to zero tolerance for any form of harassment, intimidation, or abuse of journalists, most especially women journalists.

“In the light of this, the NUJ demands an immediate and unreserved public apology from Mr. Kayode Opeifa and calls on the Nigerian Railway Corporation to take decisive actions to prevent any recurrence of such incidents.”

“NUJ FCT council condemns this act in its totality and has zero tolerance for harassment and Intimidation of journalists in the FCT. The union will pursue all necessary channels to ensure accountability and safeguard the rights and welfare of journalists in the FCT and beyond.”

“The council urges relevant authorities to support a conducive and respectful working environment for media practitioners, recognising their essential role in the society”, Oyekunle added.