A Kaduna–Abuja train derailed on Tuesday morning, leaving some of its coaches overturned and causing panic among passengers on the busy rail corridor.
According to eyewitnesses, the derailment sparked chaos as passengers rushed out in fear, scrambling to safety along the volatile route. It remains unclear what triggered the accident or whether there were casualties.
The Kaduna–Abuja rail corridor is one of Nigeria’s busiest passenger train routes and has suffered repeated disruptions in recent years. In March 2022, the service came under a deadly terrorist attack that claimed lives and forced a temporary shutdown of operations.
Tuesday’s derailment occurred less than a week after the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) confirmed another technical fault on the Abuja–Kaduna Train Service (AKTS), when a coach developed a hot axle near Rigasa Station in Kaduna. The NRC at the time apologised for the inconvenience and assured passengers of safety.
With the latest incident, concerns are growing over the reliability and safety of train services on the Kaduna–Abuja route, which thousands of Nigerians rely on for daily travel between the Federal Capital Territory and Kaduna.
As of press time, the NRC and relevant transport authorities are yet to issue an official statement on the derailment.
