AN Army Officer identified as A.M. Linus met his untimely death when he was crushed to death by a moving Train at the railway crossing at the PWD area of Ikeja, Lagos.
An eyewitness told SOJ WORLDWIDE Correspondent that he was riding his bike across the rail line when the train, which was coming from Ibadan to Iddo in Lagos crushed him.
Eyewitness Accounts According to some eyewitnesses, the sergeant had attempted to dash across the rail line on his bike, despite the warning signals from the railway officials.
They said he was dragged along with his bike for some distance before the train came to a halt. His body was mutilated and dismembered by the impact of the train.
One of the eyewitnesses, who gave his name as Chidi, said: “It was a terrible sight. The man did not listen to the railway officials who were shouting at him to stop.
He thought he could beat the train, but he miscalculated. The train hit him and his bike and dragged them along. His body parts were scattered on the rail track.”
Another eyewitness, who identified herself as Funke, said: “I was on my way to work when I saw the incident. It was very sad and shocking. The man was wearing a military uniform and he had a name tag on his chest. I think he was a sergeant in the army. I don’t know why he took such a risk. He should have waited for the train to pass.”
Official Statements The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) confirmed the incident and expressed its condolences to the family of the deceased. The NRC spokesperson, Mr Fidet Okhiria, said: “We regret to announce that a passenger train on its way from Ibadan to Iddo in Lagos killed a sergeant in the Nigerian Army at the PWD railway crossing in Ikeja on Wednesday. The sergeant was riding his bike across the rail line when he was hit by the train. We commiserate with his family and the Nigerian Army over this unfortunate incident.”
The Lagos State Police Command said it had received a report of the incident and had deployed its operatives to the scene. The police spokesperson, CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, said: “We received a distress call that a train killed a man at the PWD railway crossing in Ikeja on Wednesday. Our men rushed to the scene and confirmed that the victim was a sergeant in the Nigerian Army. His body has been deposited at the mortuary for autopsy. We are working with the railway authorities and the army to ascertain what transpired.”
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