Commuters at the Ebute-Metta Train Station in Lagos were left fuming and stranded on Thursday amidst allegations of ticket racketeering by an official of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).
In a clip shared by TVC on its X page, the official, whose identity is yet to be officially confirmed, was apprehended and detained by security operatives.
According to an eyewitness who recounted her experience to TVC, the NRC official allegedly exploited the ticket shortage by proposing an online purchase through him, charging N3,000 for standard class tickets that normally cost N3,600.
A separate report by The Cable on January 3 confirmed the eyewitness account, citing several passengers who faced similar propositions from officials at the station.
The report cited an X user who accused NRC staff of booking “almost 60% of the tickets” online and selling them to passengers at an unofficial fee.
These scenarios often led to ticket shortages, leaving passengers stranded, frustrated, and vulnerable to exploitation by officials.
Some netizens who commented on the development on Thursday suggest that the Federal government should introduce a system like the Cowry card in Lagos to tackle the incidence of ticket racketeering.
“I don’t understand why they don’t want to use something like Cowry Card. The Minister of Transport should make sure they migrate to the Card this year; no excuses’, an X user posted.
The Cowry Card is a payment system for public transport in Lagos that allows users to pay for their bus or train trips with a card.
It is a “pay as you go” system that requires users to obtain and register a reusable personal card instead of purchasing one-time tickets. Users top it up and tap in and out of the bus or train when boarding and alighting. The card does not depend on the Internet, as passengers can top it up at the station by paying cash to officials.