Several passengers sustained injuries on Monday morning after a train operating along the Abuja–Kaduna rail corridor derailed, forcing the service to halt midway through the journey.
The passenger train, travelling from Kaduna to Abuja, failed to reach its destination as scheduled following the disruption on the busy rail line linking the Federal Capital Territory with Kaduna State.
A source within the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment on the matter, confirmed the incident.
Passengers onboard said the incident occurred suddenly, triggering panic inside the coaches as the train came to an abrupt stop.
Some travellers reported hearing a loud bang before the train jolted violently, throwing several occupants off their seats and causing confusion inside the compartments.
Eyewitness accounts suggested that the Abuja-bound train may have collided with another train along the corridor, forcing rail operations to pause temporarily while the situation was assessed.
It was gathered that a number of passengers sustained injuries, with some suffering cuts and bruises after being flung against seats and metal fittings inside the train.
A social media user, Sada Malumfashi, who claimed to be among the passengers, described the frightening moment shortly after disembarking.
Posting on his X account, he said the sudden jolt caught many passengers unprepared and caused panic inside the train.
“Just dropped from the Kaduna–Abuja train. We heard a loud bang and the train jolted to a stop, flinging people across.
Passengers got hit and most are bleeding and severely injured. The train was delayed for about 30 minutes and resumed slowly to Kubwa. No communication from @info_NRC on anything,” he wrote.
According to him, the train remained stationary for about 30 minutes before the journey resumed slowly towards Kubwa, a suburb on the outskirts of Abuja.
When contacted, NRC spokesperson, Callistus Unyimadu, confirmed the development and said an official statement would be issued.
