NRC raises alarm over sales of online train ticket by fraudsters  

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has alerted Lagos-Ibadan train passengers to the activities of cyber criminals who are selling train tickets in fictitious cyber space with the intention of scamming them.  

The corporation cautioned the unsuspecting passengers against falling for the fictitious claims that it was selling online tickets on that route. 

This disclosure is contained in a statement issued by the Managing Director of NRC, Mr Fidet Okhiria, on Saturday, August 6, 2023, in Lagos. 

Okhiria in the statement urged passengers to always obtain their train boarding tickets at the designated railway stations. 

What the NRC Managing Director is saying 

Okhiria noted that the online sales of train ticket on the Lagos-Ibadan route is carried out by fraudsters as the NRC is yet to commence online sales of train tickets for that rioute. 

The NRC boss said, “The attention of the NRC has been drawn to a website developed by cyber criminals. 

• “They are inviting members of the general public to visit the fictitious cyber space to obtain Lagos to Ibadan train tickets online. 
• “However, NRC is yet to commence selling of Lagos to Ibadan train tickets online, this may have been done by fraudsters intending to scam unsuspecting train passengers. 
• “NRC is hereby advising Lagos to Ibadan train passengers to be wary of these fraudulent cyber space criminals, by obtaining their train boarding tickets at railway stations.’’ 

He said that the NRC was working hard to introduce secure online ticketing on Lagos to Ibadan and Warri to Itakpe train services soon. 

What you should know 

It can be recalled that President Buhari on June 10, 2021, formally inaugurated the $1.5 billion 157 kilometres Lagos Ibadan standard gauge railway line in Lagos, which was the first double-track standard gauge rail in West Africa after several delays and setbacks. 

The NRC commenced full commercial operations on that route on Tuesday, June 15, 2021. 

The corporation had for the past few years intensified efforts with the setting up of structure and framework for the commencement of online train ticket sales on its various routes.

However, they are yet to commence the online ticketing on some of its routes.