How Nigerian Railway Officials Fleece Nigeria

Nigerian train commuters have started coming out to highlight ways through which personnel of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC, fleece the establishment of funds through an elaborate ticket racketeering scheme.

The fleeing run is highlighted in a post on X by @Daramola4Enjoyment, accompanied by a video that has since gone viral. 

Daramola wrote that on October 2, 2023, she was on her way from Ibadan to Lagos alongside four other friends when the rip-off scheme began to unfold. A uniformed NRC official, she wrote, approached them and asked if they had tickets. Upon being told that they were in the process of acquiring transit tickets to Lagos, the employee directed them to follow him. 

Trusting that he would ease the ticket acquisition process, they followed without any second thought. However, rather than lead them to the ticket counter, he led them towards the boarding point, by-passing the screening and ticketing counters.

A little confused, Daramola said she reminded the NRC employee of the fact that they needed to obtain transit tickets first as required, in order to board the train. But the employed assured they had no reason to worry as the ticket issue would be sorted out in no time.

Rather than help to obtain official travel tickets, the said employee handed them over to another uniformed staff, who took them directly to Coach 7 without obtaining any official ticket. 

While inside coach 7, Daramola wrote that they met another commuter who related a similar experience, assuring however, that the situation would be sorted out. The assurances notwithstanding, Daramola said she felt rather uncomfortable and unsettled, so much so she had to ask two other commuters in the coach if they had tickets. It was only then she realized that the entire coach was filled with commuters without official transit tickets, being designated, more or less, as a ticket racketeering unit. She found out that everyone in the coach was lured in the same way as she and her traveling colleagues were. 

"At this time, I realized what was happening and became more uncomfortable. I was about to step out to look for the ticket counter when I saw that the time. It was 3:55pm.

"While pacing and looking for a staff, I saw new people come into the train and I approached one of them. I asked him if he has a ticket and he said yes. I asked him when he got the ticket and he replied, "Just now"

"This ruled out my assumption that we were too late. I saw the uniformed staff that led us into the train and asked him about the tickets. His response was that we are a group of 5 so if we go to the counter to purchase the tickets we would not be able to sit together.

"I was shocked. He couldn't even make something believable up. I went back to my seat. I still had my money with me so I would wait and see what happens next.

Few minutes after the train started moving, NRC officials began collecting cash from people on Coach 7. I paid N18,000 cash for 5 persons. 

He concluded that over 60 persons paid N3, 600 each without tickets. Obviously, the monies, a daily recurrence, went into private pockets, instead of the Nigerian coffers. 

Daramola's experience is not different from the one the family of this reporter went through while commuting between Lokoja, the Kogi state capital and Benin City, the Edo capital of Edo state.

At the boarding point in Lokoja, his wife and daughter were approached by an NRC staff who asked to know when they were headed. Affirming that she was on her way to Benin City, the scemings took off in earnest.

He wanted her to move with him directly to one of the coaches, by-passing the ticketing and screrning counters. Already aware of the shady deals, she declined and made her way to the ticket counter where she obtained official transit tickets.

A simple observation revealed that many commuters were railroaded directly into a number of coaches without obtaining official tickets. However, matters came to a head when NRC officials and their Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, counterparts clashed on proceeds-sharing formula as the latter refused the shared handed them by the former. The disagreement almost degenerated into fisticuffs until reason prevailed. 

As if that was not enough, the same process was enchored in Agemobode. Aware of another imminent showdown, my wife brought out her phone and began recording. Indeed, the disagreement in Agenebode almost also degenrated into a bigger brawl until someone notified the contenders they were being video recorded. There upon, they swooped on her, without any physical assault though, and compelled her to delete the video. She had to after much pressure was brought to bear on her even by fellow commuters. 

Below is Darsmola's encounter as narrated on her X handle. 

On my way to Lagos from Ibadan today, some NRC employees lured us to board the train without tickets. Initially, they acted like they were taking us to the ticket counter only for them to lead us to the Railway without official ticket.

They collected cash on transit. 

On 02nd October 2023, my friends and I were going back to Lagos after a weekend getaway in Ibadan.

We arrived at the Train Station around 03:40pm. While we were walking to the entrance of Obafemi Awolowo Train Station Ibadan, a uniformed NRC official approached us.

He asked if had the tickets and I told him we were on our way to get tickets. He then asked how many we are and I told him that we are five (5).

He told us to follow him. We were confident we could trust him because he was wearing a uniform and identified as a staff.

My friends and I followed him thinking he was leading us to the ticket counter only for us to pass through screening and head towards the Railway.

I immediately told him that we do not have have tickets to board the train but he said I shouldn't worry that it would be sorted.

He handed me over to another uniformed staff who lead us to Coach 7. I told the lady the same thing that we do not have tickets and she said she was aware and it would be sorted.

I was so uncomfortable and unsettled so I asked two other persons if they had tickets.

I discovered every single person onboard coach 7 had no ticket and were lured in the same way.

At this time, I realized what was happening and became more uncomfortable.

I was about to step out to look for the ticket counter when I saw that the time. It was 3:55pm.

While pacing and looking for a staff, I saw new people come into the train and I approached one of them. I asked him if he has a ticket and he said yes. I asked him when he got the ticket and he replied, "Just now"

This ruled out my assumption that we were too late.

I saw the uniformed staff that led us into the train and asked him about the tickets. His response was that we are a group of 5 so if we go to the counter to purchase the tickets we would not be able to sit together.

I was shocked. He couldn't even make something believable up.

I went back to my seat. I still had my money with me so I would wait and see what happens next.

Few minutes after the train started moving, they started collecting cash from people on Coach 7

I paid N18,000 cash for 5 persons

Over 60 persons paid N3600 each without tickets. 

Oh the story did not end there!

When we got to Funmilayo Kuti Station in Abeokuta, people boarded the train but guess what? They sold Coach 7 tickets to them without assigned seat!

These people got onboard and no seat.

It was so embarrassing. I had to let a lady share with me