Passengers from the derailed Kaduna-bound train praised the Nigerian Army for saving lives in the aftermath.
Survivor Maryam Bello Barkindo said soldiers provided swift rescue, comfort, and care before agencies arrived.
Passengers on the Kaduna-bound train that derailed between Kubwa and Gere on Tuesday said their survival was not just about escaping the crash, but also about discovering where true compassion comes from in moments of danger.
One of the survivors, Maryam Bello Barkindo, described the swift intervention of the Nigerian Army as the reason the tragedy did not claim more lives.
“In those first frightening minutes, it was the soldiers who stood with us,” she recounted. “They came quickly, using their own vehicles to carry the injured from Ashams Station, a place that has almost no road access. Their presence gave us both rescue and comfort.”
Barkindo explained that the Army’s role went beyond evacuation. “They remained with us for hours in the middle of danger. They offered reassurance and calm. Because of them, I now hold the Nigerian Army in greater respect and gratitude,” she said.
She, however, expressed disappointment with other agencies that later arrived at the scene.
“To my surprise, NEMA officials came by helicopter after the worst had already passed. They were accompanied by police officers, but none of them spoke to us or offered comfort. They simply walked past to the site. There were no kind words, no reassurance, no sense of care,” she lamented.
According to her, many victims felt abandoned while official images of rescue were later circulated to the public. “I left the station after three long hours, with my family searching desperately for me. On the road, I finally saw a NEMA ambulance, but only after the Army had already carried out the real rescue effort,” she said.
She emphasized that her account was not about resentment but about a desire for institutions to match public appearances with genuine compassion. “Our nation must go beyond image-making. I witnessed who truly mattered that day. Let us value real action above optics, and compassion above publicity. What saved us was not uniforms or headlines, but people who chose to care,” she concluded.
The derailment, which happened near Abuja, left passengers shaken but thankful that the Nigerian Army’s immediate response helped prevent greater loss before official rescue agencies arrived.
