Panic turned to relief on Saturday when security operatives swiftly rescued passengers stranded after a train travelling from Itakpe to Warri derailed in Adogo community, Ajaokuta Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The incident, which occurred around 4:30 p.m., left travellers stuck for hours in the middle of nowhere until police and railway officials arrived to secure the area and ensure their safety.
Responding to a distress call, the Kogi State Commissioner of Police, CP Naziru Kankarofi, immediately dispatched a team of officers to the site. The Commissioner later visited the scene personally for an on-the-spot assessment, where he met with Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) officials and passengers affected by the derailment.
“The CP directed the deployment of additional security personnel to protect both passengers and railway facilities,” said CSP William Ovye-Aya, the Police Public Relations Officer, in a statement issued Sunday in Lokoja.
All passengers were safely evacuated to Ajaokuta Station and assisted to continue their journeys. Fortunately, no casualties were recorded.
Ovye-Aya quoted the Commissioner as assuring residents that the Command remains fully committed to safeguarding lives and property across the state, working hand-in-hand with other security agencies.
The cause of the derailment has not yet been officially confirmed, but investigations are underway by the Nigerian Railway Corporation.