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.
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 Punch reported.
The journey through the bush reportedly lasted for over three hours.
Despite the initial fear of potential attacks, Edokpayi praised the kindness of herders they encountered during the trek.
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.
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.
While grateful for a safe end to the ordeal, Edokpayi strongly criticised the state of Nigeria’s transport infrastructure, Nation reported.
He also lamented the increasing unreliability of other travel options.
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.
A spokesperson assured passengers that measures would be taken to prevent a recurrence.
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:
Earlier, NewsWatch.com.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.
Source: NewsWatch.com.ng
