Passengers stranded, abandoned as Kano-Lagos train breaks down

By Muhammad Muhammad

Hundreds of passengers are stranded at Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), Kano station more than 24 hours after boarding the Kano-Lagos bound train.

The passengers originally scheduled to depart Kano for Lagos 12 noon Monday are abandoned at the civic centre train station without official communication about the situation.

Worried by the development, the passengers did not only lamented untold maltreatment by the railway workers unattended to for more than 30 hours, raised concern that no official communication is issued by the transport managers.

Solacebase gathered that hundreds of passengers including women, children and elderly are compelled to pass night in the open space with cold weather at the station.

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A passenger who simply identified himself as Aminu lamented that the railway workers abandoned them at the station after collecting their ticket without former notice.

“We were here as early as 6am on Monday. We bought our tickets and board the train unfortunately, the train refused to move at 12 noon as scheduled. No official notice was issued but the rumour we are getting was that the train is technically down. We beg them to come out clear to tell us the situation”.

Another female passengers Habiba Isiyaku who also lamented the ugly condition is becoming unbearable demanded the authority to refund their transport fare.

Habiba who said he came from Jigawa to join the train to Lagos because of security threat and bad road regretted how the railway workers abandoned them at the station.

“Most of us cannot go back home because we are not based in Kano. Can you imagine this train people did not tell us anything until we bought tickets and even pay for  our goods, only for them to refuse to leave. It is quite unfortunate. ”

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However, Solacebase‘s effort to speak with the railway authority at the Kano station was not successful because a senior staff who wouldn’t want his name mentioned said only the headquarters is authorized to speak with journalists.

While some passengers accused the railway workers of sabotage many attributed the situation to security threat. But the dead silence of the authority continued to fuel more speculations.