BREAKING: Warri-Itakpe Train Derailment: Stranded Passengers Share Harrowing Ordeals as NRC Takes Action
Passengers on board the Warri-Itakpe train were left stranded in a dense forest in Kogi State on Wednesday, April 10, after the train developed technical problems mid-journey, sparking fears and prompting a desperate three-hour trek by some travellers through the wilderness.
Kola Edokpayi, a lawyer and social commentator who was among the stranded passengers, shared his experience in a series of Facebook posts.
According to him, he opted to travel by train from Agbor, Delta State, to Itakpe, Kogi State after he couldn’t secure a flight to Abuja.
“On getting to an evil forest without network in Kogi, the train developed technical issues that couldn’t be fixed immediately.
“Passengers became apprehensive while stranded in the forest dominated by Fulani herders and their cows,” he wrote.
Passengers speak on how they walked through unknown terrain
As fear grew among the passengers, some decided to abandon the stalled train and begin what Edokpayi described as an “unsolicited endurance trek” in search of help or a nearby train station.
The journey through the bush reportedly lasted for over three hours.
“We decided to embark upon an endurance trek to quickly get to town. We trekked for more than three hours and are still trekking to the train station,” he recounted.
Despite the initial fear of potential attacks, Edokpayi praised the kindness of herders they encountered during the trek.
“All the Fulani herders in the forest we encountered were so friendly and assisted us while we were navigating the evil forest,” he said.
Passengers speak on exhaustion, fear, and eventual rescue
Describing the ordeal as “terrible and horrific,” Edokpayi shared how the group grew tired and dehydrated. At one point, an elderly passenger reportedly collapsed from exhaustion.
“Having trekked for hours, I became sinewless with no water to drink to resuscitate myself. An old man who trekked with us for about 30 minutes almost died, we had to assist him to be alive,” he wrote.
Salvation came when the group encountered motorcyclists and rescue vehicles en route to assist others still stranded in the forest.
Passengers rushed into the vehicles with what strength they had left and were transported to safety.
Call for urgent reforms in rail transport
While grateful for a safe end to the ordeal, Edokpayi strongly criticised the state of Nigeria’s transport infrastructure.
“The Federal Government needs to be proactive enough to ensure that the trains are in a better state for the safety of passengers,” he said.
He also lamented the increasing unreliability of other travel options. “Airline operators cancel flights anyhow, we fear kidnappers for bad roads, now trains are breaking down in evil forests. Make God continue to help us ooo in Bongo,” he added with frustration.
NRC reacts to incident
In response, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) acknowledged the incident and said technical teams had been dispatched to investigate the root cause of the breakdown.
“We regret the inconvenience caused to our passengers. Safety is our top priority, and we are working to improve both our infrastructure and response time in emergency situations,” the NRC said in a brief statement Thursday evening.
Videos circulating online show exhausted passengers making their way through the forest and later boarding rescue vehicles.
Many have called for urgent improvements to ensure passenger safety and restore public confidence in Nigeria’s rail system.
See the video here:
Speeding train rams into hilux pickup in Lagos
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that a moving train collided with a Toyota Hilux pickup truck at a level crossing in the Mushin area of Lagos on Sunday, July 21.
The accident occurred at approximately 4:30pm at the Ilupeju Bypass, according to a tweet by Ajetunmobi Ridwan Olawale, senior special assistant on media to the Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanw-Olu.
