The Nigerian Railway Corporation has confirmed that an “avoidable train incident” occurred around on Monday March the 16th, 2026, at about 10:30 A.M.
The incident which happened near Asham, involved a rear locomotive and a passenger coach.
In a statement by the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Kayode Opeifa, “preliminary findings indicate that the rear locomotive made contact with the coach behind it due to a coupling issue.”
Meanwhile, in a telephone conversation with AIT’s Transport Correspondent, Onoshiorena Obozeghie, the MD said some passengers sustained injuries and were taken to a nearby medical facility for treatment.
He initially put the number of hospitalised passengers at about 15, noting that the exact figure was still being verified.
Besides the 15, he added that some passengers remained in Kubwa while others arrived with the train at the Idu Railway Station at about 10:39 A.M., 38 minutes behind schedule, after time was taken to remove the affected locomotive and coach.
The corporation confirmed that no fatalities were recorded and insisted it’s not derailment.
Emergency response protocols were immediately activated, while technical teams were deployed to the scene to address the situation.
It noted that the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, NSIB, has also been mobilised to investigate the incident in line with established safety procedures.
NRC added that further details will be communicated as more information becomes available.
(Editor: Roluke Ogundele)
