By: Aremu Toyeebaht
Nigeria’s busiest rail corridor was thrown into chaos on Tuesday after a passenger train travelling from Abuja to Kaduna derailed, leaving several carriages overturned and forcing terrified passengers to flee for safety.
The incident occurred shortly after the train departed Abuja around 11 a.m., sparking panic as passengers scrambled out of the derailed cabins. An eyewitness described the scene as “complete pandemonium.”
“It is a complete pandemonium. People who were confirmed to be saved were seen running in different directions. It was pure panic. We can not confirm if everyone is safe yet but we pray everyone comes out alive,” the witness said.
The Managing Director of the Nigeria Railway Corporation, Kayode Opeifa, confirmed the derailment in a telephone interview, noting that rescue operations were ongoing.
“I don’t want to say much for now, but the incident is confirmed and the rescue operation is on as we speak,” he said.
While no casualties have been officially reported, the cause of the derailment remains unclear at press time.
The Abuja–Kaduna rail line, used daily by hundreds of commuters, has been plagued by safety challenges in recent years. In March 2022, terrorists attacked a train on the same corridor, killing several passengers and abducting many others, sparking national outrage.
