A train on the Warri-Itakpe route is said to have derailed, forcing many of the commuters to be stranded.
This is coming barely few days after some passengers were abducted from a train station in Igueben, Edo State.
Sources said the incident happened in a forest between Ajaokuta and Itakpe in Kogi state, Northcentral Nigeria. Several passengers abandoned the rail for fear of being taken hostage.
A former Chairman of the Bayelsa Vigilante Agency, Prince Douye Koroye, who was in VIP said it might be a case of terrorists attempting to cut the rail line, a situation that may have culminated in the train derailng because it was at a high speed.
The stranded passengers were told by the officials of the Nigeria Railway Corporation to remain calm and sit back in the train while they mobilised for help.
Koroye also revealed that many passengers are still stranded in the bush and are being protected by the security team in the train while awaiting rescue teams from the Nigerian security agencies.
Coordinator of the Warri Itakpe Train Service, Engr. Sanni Abdulganiyu said security personnel comprising the Army, Police, NSCDC, and the community vigilante were immediately drafted to scene of the accident.
He added that “all the 148 passengers and 30 crew members were evacuated to a safe place and conveyed to their various destinations.”
While the cause of the derailment is yet to be established, “service along the corridor has been suspended and further details would be communicated to members of the public,” he added.