The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has urged the public to disregard a widely circulated social media message warning people to avoid train travel, particularly along Warri Warri-Itakpe rail corridor.

The message, accompanied by a short video showing removed rail clips, urged people to cancel any travel plan involving the use of trains because the mode of transportation is not safe at the moment.

In a statement on Monday, the Ag. Deputy Director Public Relations, NRC, Callistus Unyimadu, described the information as misleading and unfounded.

He said, “The identified incident involving the temporary removal of some rail clips at a specific location on the corridor was promptly detected during routine inspection and was immediately rectified by our maintenance team. All necessary safety and operational protocols were strictly followed to ensure that no threat was posed to passengers or the integrity of the train operations. Indeed, the Warri-Itakpe train (WITS) has successfully passed through the affected section without any incident, further confirming the safety of the route.”

Expressing the NRC’s commitment to the highest standards of safety and security in all its operations, Unyimadu said the corporation’s “tracks and rolling stock are under constant surveillance and maintenance, and our personnel are fully equipped to address any issues that may arise in real time.”

He urged the public to continue to use the NRC’s train services with full confidence, just as he warned that any attempt to spread fear or discourage the use of rail transport undermines the progress being made in the sector and should be condemned.

“Train services on the Warri-Itakpe corridors and all other NRC corridors remain safe, reliable and fully operational.

“For official updates and travel advisories, we encourage passengers to rely only on verified NRC communication channels,” he said.