NRC fires back at blogger over alleged train ticket racketeering

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has denied allegations that it deliberately created artificial scarcity of train tickets on the Abuja–Kaduna Train Service (AKTS) to facilitate their resale at inflated prices through unofficial agents.

The corporation described the allegations, made by Instagram blogger Faizah Raji, who operates the handle @wearegst, as libellous, insisting that it does not buy or sell train tickets and should not be held responsible for transactions involving unauthorised third parties.

In a statement signed by its Chief Public Relations Officer, Callistus Unyimadu, on behalf of management, the NRC said Raji had acknowledged in her viral video that passengers were warned to purchase tickets only through approved electronic ticketing portals.

According to the corporation, the blogger claimed that after failing to secure a ticket through the official portal, she purchased one from an agent at twice the approved fare.

The NRC said while her account of the transaction might be accurate, her conclusion that the corporation was behind the alleged racketeering demonstrated a misunderstanding of its ticketing arrangements.

It explained that ticketing services across the standard-gauge rail corridors were operated under public-private partnership agreements, with SecureID/TPS handling the Abuja–Kaduna service, Global Software Digital Solutions managing the Lagos–Ibadan route, and Fane Warri-Itakpe Ticketing Solutions Ltd. responsible for the Warri–Itakpe service.

The corporation said the three concessionaires were approved by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission and the Federal Executive Council before 2023.

On the persistent scarcity of tickets, the NRC attributed the situation largely to demand for rail travel exceeding the available seating capacity by more than tenfold, creating a significant imbalance between supply and demand.

The corporation also linked ticket racketeering to fraudulent practices involving the use of multiple National Identification Numbers (NINs) to purchase tickets for resale.

It said the Federal Government introduced the NIN requirement for train ticket purchases following the 2022 train bombing, as part of measures to curb ticket racketeering and strengthen passenger identification.

However, according to the NRC, some scammers devised ways to obtain multiple NINs and use them to secure tickets for unsuspecting passengers willing to pay inflated prices.

To address the problem, the corporation introduced a two-stage passenger verification system in 2025, modelled on procedures at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.

Under the system, passengers’ NIN details are checked against the information used to purchase their tickets, while personal identification cards are also required before boarding.

The NRC said its verification system was integrated with the National Identity Management Commission database, enabling officials at Idu and Kubwa in Abuja, as well as Rigasa in Kaduna, to retrieve the photograph associated with the NIN used for a ticket purchase.

It explained, however, that the Rigasa station had inadequate access-control infrastructure, which occasionally allowed associates of scammers to overwhelm security personnel. The additional identity check, it said, was introduced to strengthen enforcement.

The corporation warned passengers against purchasing tickets from third parties or using tickets bought with another person’s NIN or name, describing such practices as unacceptable and economic sabotage.

It added that the electronic ticketing concessionaires had been directed to improve access to their online platforms in line with established ticketing procedures.

Reaffirming its position against ticket racketeering, the NRC said it operated a zero-tolerance policy and that any staff member found participating in or colluding with the practice would face disciplinary action.

The corporation urged passengers and Nigerians to use approved ticketing channels, assuring them that it remained committed to protecting the railway system from criminal activities and safeguarding its reputation.

It added that its objective remained to provide safe, affordable, reliable and convenient rail services capable of making train travel a preferred option for passengers across the country.