By Sandra Ugwu 

A passenger, Sada Malumfashi, has narrated the frightening moments when a Kaduna–Abuja-bound train derailed on Monday morning, leaving several passengers injured.

Malumfashi said the incident began with a loud bang, followed by a violent jolt that threw passengers off balance. “We heard a loud bang and the train jolted to a stop, flinging people across. Passengers got hit, many were bleeding,” he recounted. The train reportedly remained stationary for about 30 minutes before resuming its journey toward Kubwa, with no immediate communication from the Nigerian Railway Corporation.

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) confirmed that all 429 passengers onboard escaped death, although some sustained injuries. Investigations have since commenced to determine the exact cause of the derailment.

According to NSIB spokesperson Funke Arowojobe, preliminary findings indicate that the incident occurred around 9:16 a.m. along the Jere–Asham section in Kaduna State. The train, identified as KA2, had departed Rigasa Station en route to Idu in Abuja when a rear locomotive detached shortly after leaving Jere Station. The detached locomotive rolled forward on a downward gradient and collided with the rear of the train.

The train was carrying 429 passengers, supported by 46 crew members and 24 security personnel at the time of the incident. While no fatalities were recorded, several passengers sustained varying degrees of injury.

Reacting to the development, NSIB Director-General, Alex Badeh Jr., expressed concern and assured the public that a thorough investigation would uncover the root cause of the derailment.

Meanwhile, Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Kayode Opeifa, confirmed that train services along the route have resumed. He added that injured passengers were taken to Abuja for medical treatment and that further investigations are ongoing.

This marks the second derailment on the Abuja–Kaduna rail corridor in seven months, raising renewed concerns over rail safety and infrastructure maintenance in Nigeria.