A Train Journey by Default, A Price for Folly

@ernestomoarelojie

February 2025. 

 By Thursday morning, February 6, it became emergent that I would have to travel to Benin City from my Abuja base. The only respite I had was that rather than proceed the next day, a Friday, I would have to go on Sunday. Unless of course I could dig out a flight ticket, something I couldn't afford. That in mind, I wrote off the scheduled Friday meeting for the more auspicious Monday option. 

By Saturday evening, it became important that I made practical preparation by way of ascertaing the cost of transportationby from the Abuja to Benin City. To do that, I would have to call one or two of the popular transportation companies I usually travel with.

As it turned out, while one announced a princely N27, 000 package, the other stood at N23, 100. If there was a difference between the two, it was to me, that between half a dozen and six. I mean, a return journey would be N54, 000 for and N46, 200 for the other, excluding intra city logistics. I no get day kain money nau.

I needed no persuasion to resolve to keep away from both transportation companies for a less costly option. That in mind, I called a friend who advised that I move early to Zuba, a boundary community between the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, and Niger state, where he was sure I would get something quite lower. And I fell for that unaware that it could be a wrong calculation. 

At about 5:30 early Sunday morning, I left my Azhata residence on a bike that took me to Nyanya for N2, 000. Without any challenge, I got a car that ferried me to Zuba alongside others, for N1, 500 per person.

I had no difficulty finding the first bus terminus where I was sure I would get a fair price. But alas, I was told I needed to vomit N25, 000 for the trip. I asked how much it was again and the guy repeated what he said-N25, 000, as in 25 'Tarzan Naeera'. With the announcement, my ears began ringing bells. For sure, I was not about to cough out any such amount for a one way ride to Benin City.

For want of more viable options, I left the bus station and headed upfront, a little way off, one of the garage hustlers hot on my tail. Without making it seem as if I didn't know of another bus station, looking I walked with him as he directed our way to an open bus terminal not far from the one I got a N25, 000 bill. At the new station, I found two Sienna vehicles already queued up and loading passengers to, as they told me, Benin City. Passengers to Auchi and other en route towns were being loaded as fill ups. Or so I thought.

The good side, if I am permitted to to use the term, was that it went for N20, 000. It was the least price for any passage heading to Benin City from anywhere in Zuba, one of the passengers told me. I had to pay even though it was more of the case of being penny wise but pound foolish when the N3, 500 it took to to get me from my Azhata residence to Zuba is added to it. 

 As if that wasn't enough, it didn't occur to me that I was just getting ready for one hell of a journey.

Save for the flashes of our driver's reckless maneuvers along the way, a few of which were real heart-skippers, the journey between Abuja and Lokoja was seamless. However, the driver gave a shocker when he told one of the passengers, almost as a passing comment, as we were regrouping after the meal break, that his destination was Auchi, not Benin City. He however assured that he would hand us over to a reliable transit vehicle onward Benin City. But knowing what it entailed, I wasn't certain his assurances were close to the reality that awaited us. I knew the outcome wasn't going to be cheering at all.

Somehow, we resolved the matter more because he kept assuring that he would find a suitable vehicle to put the six of us heading to Benin City. Still I was worried because it was easier said than done. The final outcome was usually the stuff of a nightmare in broad day light.

We left Lokoja without me having the foggiest of idea of how to handle the doubts in my mind or for that matter, the debacle that could possibly unfold in Auchi. My mind was in such a swirl that I didn't notice when the driver veered off the main road somewhere between Lokoja and Okene. I just suddenly realized we were traversing a very unfamiliar by road, prompting me to ask why we diverted. Respectfully, he explained that he was heading towards the Itakpe train station to drop one or two passengers who would be taking the train to Agbor and Warri respectively.

Suddenly, I became a little animated, rather elated despite my erstwhile trepidations. Curiously, I asked the driver how much he was going to pay each of us for the trip from Auchi to Benin City. He said N7, 000. It would mean that I paid N13, 000 for the journey between Abuja and Lokoja.

Not desirous of going into any form of argument with him as it could prove costly, I asked him to hand over the money to me. Right there and then, rather too quickly too, I decided to do the train ride. It was a decision taken by default.

My impromptu decision was informed by two factors. Over time, I have heard nice stories about a ride on the train that I also felt I needed to experience it. In addition to the fair ticket fare put at N5, 000, I was also told of how seamless it is getting an easy ride from Agbor train station directly to Benin City. For that I didn't hesitate taking the decided to give it a try.

I collected the N7, 000 from the driver and made my way to the boarding point. But just before I got to there, I felt a tug on my arm. It was the driver who brought me from Abuja. He returned, he said, because he made a mistake in his calculation. According to him, only passengers heading to Warri are entitled to 7,000. Those en route Benin were only entitled to N5, 000. By the calculation, the fare I paid to get from Abuja to Lokoja shot up to N15, 000. Did I not earlier say penny wise, pound foolish?

Truth was, I wasn't in any mood for any form of altercation. That in mind, I handed over the money he gave me earlier. He counted it, removed N2, 000 he claimed was due him and handed back the remaining N5, 000 to me. Stoic as I pretended to look, I was seething with rage inside. However, the exchabge completed, I made my way to the check-in counter certain I would obtain my transit ticket without a fuss. It was not to be.

The lady manning the counter told me that all tickets had been sold out. With emphasis, she disclosed that they were traded online, the only way to obtain one anyway. I asked to know the options I had in getting to my destination. She said she had no clue. From her final take, I suddenly began to feel dehydrated, having also realised that the vehicle that brought me from Abuja had already left the station. Obviously, I was in a bind.

Then I remembered that someone attempted, almost frantically, to draw my attention to something I couldn't tell while I was discussing with the young lady at the check-in counter. I decided to search for him, at least to find out why and possibly ask questions about how to get my arse out from Itakpe to Benin City. I saw the man a little way off, discussing with someone else. I inched closer, hoping to draw his attention to my presence but just before I could, I overheard him telling the individual that for a fee he could help secure a transit ticket.

I didn't just jump at the good news but went on instead to make a few discrete enquiries from which I confirmed that indeed, tickets were available for the taking but with the payment of some extra fees. However, I was warned not to deal with just about any one offering such a deal on the platform. The best bet, I was told, was to approach any of the security men on duty.

Rather than rush at it, I decided to call a friend back in Abuja who asked me to wait for him to make a call or two. Less than three minutes later, he called back with a name and telephone number. One quick call, I was told to forward my name, NIN, recognized identity card and payment, with a little something as charges. I was too glad to do so.

About ten minutes later, I got a call asking me to check my WhatsApp page. One quick check revealed a scanned copy of the ticket. Now very confident, I strotted back to the check-in lady to validate it. She passed it as okay, deal sealed.

Time was slightly after 12 pm when my ticket was confirmed. The scheduled departure time was said to be 2pm. Except that the train didn't arrive at the station until well after 3pm. However, about half an hour before its arrival, it was announced that it did a stop over in Ajaokuta onward Itakpe. We were advised not to rush into it upon arrival as it would have to be cleaned with a coach or two added. The arrangements weren't completed until 3:51pm when we were called for boarding. It was one hour, 51 minutes behind schedule.

Eventually, the train lumbered leisurely out of Itakpe at well over 4pm. Ab initio, it wasn't meant to be a beauty of a ride because the engine sounded somewhat. Indeed, barely 14 minutes into the ride, it stalled in the middle of nowhere. No announcement was made as to what the issue was. Trust Nigerians, some were already going into panic mode before the engine roared into life again.

For the second time, we were off again after some 20 minutes. But shortly afterwards, an argument ensued between one of the ticket officers and a passenger. The latter could not verify the source of his ticket which obviously had issues. How it was resolved I couldn't tell except that at some point, security and other NRC officials were called in. It was obviously resolved without the affected passenger being exited or prosecuted any which way.

The incident brought to the fore the fact that ticket rackeering still remains a big issue with the NRC. Officials and security operatives en route are said to be feeding fat on it while the corporation loses real money.

For instance, upon our stop over at Agenebode, more passengers trooped in with tickets of seats already allocated to travellers from Itakpe to Warri. In one particular instance, three passengers came with tickets for one seat. Of course, the passenger who boarded the train at Itakpe, enroute to Abraka refused to bulge or yield it to anyone.

Conveniently, both NRC officials and attached security operatives conveniently made themselves unavailable. It turned out that some of the tickets didn't come with barcodes which rendered them invalid. We were told that tickets obtained from touts, including security personnel attached to the trains, came with such defaults. The carriers are often left on their own once the transactions are over and done with. But the country is left worse for it.

Eventually, the train arrived Agbor. It was shortly after 8pm. Whereas I made my way from Itakpe to the station in Agbor, I was told to cough out N7, 000 for my trip to Benin City. I had no option than to truly cough it out.

Afraid that a N23, 100 was too much a price to pay for a journey from Abuja to Benin City, I took a decision that ended up with me paying N32, 650.00. It was truly a harrowing case of Penny Wise, Pound Foolish.