Train riders kill baby, man with stones in Lagos

*Mother in coma

A baby was among the two persons that was killed after some passengers, riding on top a train, engaged residents of Agege, Lagos State, in ‘stones’ hurling’ attack on Friday.

According to eye witnesses at Agege, the baby, who was strapped to her mother’s back, died immediately one of the stones, hurled by passengers riding on top of the train, hit the baby.

When the mother realized her baby was died, she collapsed and was rushed to hospital, where she is still in coma.

Another victim, is a yet to be identified top train rider who was busy hurling missiles on passers-by and traders while he was on the roof of the moving train. He allegedly didn’t quickly notice that the train had reached a pedestrian bridge; his head smashed on the walls of the bridge.

It was learnt that miscreants who could not pay for ticket to enter train, usually hang in dozens, on top of the moving train which has been described as illegal by Railway Corporation.

A trader said: “They armed themselves with stones and bottles, especially at night. They hurl the stones and bottles at passers-by at night.”

Tired of the incessant behavior of the train passengers, some youths in Agege mobilized and tried to fight back on Thursday, resulting into fracas.

A Hausa trader, Malam Sanni Mohammed, said: “That’s what we see every day, especially at night. In fact, when train is approaching these days, you’ll see people scampering for safety. Nobody wants the stones or bottles to hit them.  Some youths in Agege wanted to put a stop to this by fighting back. They engaged each side of the train in pelting stones attack. One of the stones hit a baby, who died. Another man hit his head against a bridge.”

A trader said that crisis led to the closure of the Agege train station.

A source at the Divisional Police Officer of Agege Railway Police Station, Agege, said police have arrested many of the top train riders who engaged in the attack.

He said: “We arrested many of them this morning in Agege and Mushin. We have sounded it clear that top train passengers are illegal. They are miscreants who would always cause problem; we have temporarily stopped trains from picking passengers at Agege. We have to flush out those who constitute security risk to our railway operations.”