A major tragedy was narrowly averted on Friday when a passenger train derailed along the Abeokuta-Odeda-Ibadan Highway in Ogun State, missing dozens of traders and their customers by mere inches.
The incident occurred at Kila, a bustling roadside area where the train veered off the tracks, narrowly avoiding crowded stalls. Eyewitnesses described the event as terrifying, noting how close the train came to causing mass casualties.
“It was a close call. If the train had veered slightly more, many of us would have been crushed,” a trader at the scene told reporters.
The derailment caused severe traffic congestion along the busy corridor. In response, the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) advised motorists to avoid the affected highway and instead use the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
TRACE spokesperson Babatunde Akinbiyi confirmed that the agency is working in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to manage the situation and restore normal traffic flow.
Efforts to reach the NRC’s spokesperson, Mahmood Yakub, for a statement were unsuccessful as calls and messages went unanswered.
The cause of the derailment remains unknown as of press time, but investigations are expected to commence promptly.
