A Kaduna-Abuja train carrying 600 passengers on Sunday stopped in a bush near Rijana in Kaduna State after crushing over 50 cows.
Sources said the area is notorious for kidnapping and armed robbery.
DAILY NIGERIAN gathered that the train with registration number KA4 stopped for about 40 minutes, causing panic among the passengers.
Sources said the police arrested the herdsmen for allowing the cows to stray onto the track.
On Friday, another train broke down on the outskirts of Jere Local Government Area of Kaduna State, an area notorious for kidnapping and armed robbery.
The incident prompted anger and disappointment from the passengers on board the train, which took off at about 10:35 am on Friday and stopped in Jere at about 12:20pm.
The Kaduna State Police Command on Sunday confirmed the accident, saying no fewer than 52 cattle were crushed to death by the train traveling along Kasarami-Jere axis in Chikkun Local Government Area in Kaduna State.
The commissioner, Ahmad Abdulrahaman, refuted reports that the cattle were killed by other means.
“Their is nothing like attack but purely it was train accident, so nobody should panic,” he told journalists in Kaduna
According to him, the cattle were crushed to death at about 11:45am on Sunday by a speeding train going to Abuja from Rigasa Railway Station.
He also explained that the 27 cattle that sustained injuries were slaughtered by the chief butcher of Kasarami village.
He said no human casualty was recorded.
“When the information of the accident reached the command, I quickly mobilised our men to the scene to assess the situation.
The CP described the accident as pathetic. He said the herdsmen were moving to Funtua Local Government in Katsina State.
“They innocently inquired on whether there were rail services on Sunday, but were misinformed that there was none.
“I have summoned the traditional rulers of the area, youths and farmers on the need to continue to live in peace and to avoid crossing the rail track indiscriminately with farm produce and animals.
He added that a similar meeting will hold with officials of the railway corporation on how to avert such an accident in future.
