The train breaks in the Kogi forest, passengers walk for hours

Passengers aboard a train traveling from Warri to Itakpe were left blocked in a remote forest in the state of Kogi Tuesday after the locomotive broke halfway through, forcing the commuters to walk for hours.

Among the blocked passengers there was the Marxist activist, Kola Edokpayi, who documented Calvary in a video shared on social media. Edokpayi, who was traveling to Abuja, said that the train developed a defect in what described as a “evil forest” without covering mobile network.

“We became worried,” he said. “We were blocked in the middle of nothing, surrounded by forest and without an idea of ​​how long the repair would take. So, we decided to start trekking.”

According to reports, the passengers embarked on a one hour walk through the bush in search of the station or the nearest settlement.

The area, known to be frequented by armed shepherds, has raised safety problems among commuters.

However, Edokpayi praised the shepherds Fulani they met, saying that they were surprisingly useful and led the passengers through the forest.

“Contrary to the fear that many of us had, they showed kindness and helped us navigate,” he said.

He invited the Federal Government to improve the maintenance of rail transport and improve the safety measures for passengers.

“Airlines cancel flights without notice, the roads are not sure because of kidnappers and now the trains are breaking down in the forests. God can continue to help us in this country,” he complained.

The accident has renewed public concerns for rail security, on the way three years after the attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train in March 2022, where armed men killed eight people and kidnapped over 60 passengers.

That tragedy aroused widespread indignation and raised questions about the safety of the country’s railway system.

The Nigerian Railway Corporation has yet to issue an official statement on Tuesday’s accident at the time of the press

Do you want to share a story with us? Do you want to advertise with us? Do you need advertising for a product, service or event? Contact us on WhatsApp +2348183319097 email: platformtimes@gmail.com

We commit ourselves to an investigative journalism of great impact for human interest and social justice. Your donation will help us tell other stories. Please give any amount HERE