Train Accident Survivor Lauds Army’s Swift Rescue, Says NEMA Arrived Late, Looked Detached

By Yinka Giwa

A survivor of Tuesday’s train accident on the Abuja–Kaduna line yesterday praised the Nigerian Army for their swift and compassionate response, while sharply criticising the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for what she described as a late, detached, and “image-driven” intervention.

In a firsthand account shared by Maryam Bello Barkindo, a passenger aboard the ill-fated train, on her Facebook account , the army was the first to respond after the crash near Ashams Station, between Kubwa and Gere, close to Abuja. According to her, soldiers immediately shuttled injured passengers in their vehicles despite the rough terrain and lack of road access.

“These men were not simply obeying orders—they were offering compassion,” she recalled. “Their presence was a source of comfort. They stood with us for hours at the heart of danger, offering not just rescue but solace. Because of them, I will forever regard the Nigerian Army with renewed respect and gratitude.”

However, Barkindo described NEMA’s conduct as a “cruel betrayal.” She alleged that the agency arrived by helicopter long after the worst had passed, accompanied by police personnel, but made no effort to engage stranded or frightened passengers.

“I saw them walk past us without a glance, no comforting words, no reassurance, no shared humanity,” she said. “Later, I watched images of their arrival being broadcast as if they had led the rescue. But where were they when we needed them?”

She noted that she only saw a NEMA ambulance on the road after the army had already evacuated victims, adding that their absence in the critical moments of chaos was “more extraordinary than their eventual presence.”

Barkindo stressed that her account was not born out of bitterness but out of a longing for a system where institutional presence translates to genuine care. “Crafting public image isn’t enough if it’s not backed by substance,” she said. “At that moment, the difference between life and despair wasn’t in uniforms or headlines—it was in the hearts that chose to help.”

Her testimony has reignited public debate over the efficiency of Nigeria’s disaster response agencies, with many questioning why soldiers continue to bear the brunt of frontline rescue operations while emergency agencies are perceived to prioritise publicity over real intervention.

All efforts to reach NEMA to get their reaction to Ms. Barkindo’s account of the events of Tuesday were unsuccessful as at press time.

But in the official account published on their website, the agency claimed that the Director General of the Agency, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, “ led the Agency’s rescue team to the site of a train derailment along the Abuja–Kaduna rail line close to the Idda sub-station.”
They wrote that “seven passengers sustained varying degrees of injury. They were promptly administered first aid at the scene before being taken to hospital for further medical attention.”

They further claimed that the rescue operation was a multi-agency effort “coordinated by NEMA, with the swift support of the Nigerian military, the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Immigration Service, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and others, whose vigilance and rapid response led to the smooth conduct of the operation.”

They promised that further information on the cause of the accident will be provided by investigators from the Ministry of Transportation, whose acting Permanent Secretary was also present at the site of the derailment, and that more updates to be provided when available.